Of All The Ways
by EatSleep
Summary: Severus finds himself in a long line to find out his fate. Heaven or Hell. As he gets closer he realises that he might not have done enough. He died in the Shrieking Shack and didn't see the war end. Had he done enough? He turns around and spots Hermione Granger standing a few feet away; he realises that he'd rather spend an eternity with her than rot in Hell. [HGxSS][HPxDM].
1. Chapter 1

_**Prologue [1 / 3]:**_

 _ **Of All The Ways.**_

A quiet buzz filled the vast space while the distant repetition of " _congratulations on making it,"_ echoed around. Spirals of gold magic danced along the white sky making their way towards the large gates which lay on top of solid gold stairs. There was no sun radiating the area, but the light seemed to bounce off everything and everyone.

Heavenly giggles rent the pure air as the lucky people found their place in line. The check-in section consisted of eight lines which were kept at a reasonable length at all times. At the front of the queue were many Guardians who repeated the same things over again: " _Name?", "Congratulations on making it", "Enjoy your new eternal life."_

Around the feet of the people whirled a white fog that stopped at ankle-length; it created an enchanted atmosphere which paired well with the harp charmed to play near the gate. The departed souls moved closer to the front unsure of what was happening to them. Most of them were recalling their deaths and others were wondering if they were heading to Hell.

In the second from left line stood Severus Snape. His eyes moved around calculating his new surroundings— _this cannot be what I think it is_ —was he standing in a queue to move into the afterlife? Because that's what it looked like.

People were crying with uncertainty and others looked happy to be at peace. Severus was neither one of those people. He knew exactly where he was, however, he didn't understand why? He has done such terrible things and somehow he was standing in an angelic wonderland awaiting his judgement.

He was yet to hear anyone be told they hadn't made it to Heaven, but he'd been blessed with bad luck all his life, so he wasn't ruling the possibility out. His line moved forward a few steps and he followed behind the person in front of him.

Severus was still clad in his teaching robes and he realised that a lot of people's attire looked out of place, nonetheless, everyone was clean and glowing. He brushed his fingers against his neck and felt the raised skin which held his scar.

A sigh escaped his lips.

Had he done enough good deeds in his life to counteract the bad? He'd died helplessly in the Shrieking Shack and parted ways with his memories—actually, he was glad that he didn't have to stick around and answer any questions that Potter had for him.

It was true that he still loved Lily, but not in the way he knew Potter would think. He'd grown up since their friendship had ended and he realised that it was love as a friend that he held close to his heart. He hadn't had any normal friends that didn't wish to bully him into doing things for them. However, life had got in the way and he found himself indebted to her and knew he couldn't allow her son to fall at the hands of the man that had killed her.

 _Lily?_ Would he see her again if he made it beyond the golden gate? Severus knew that if the afterlife was what he thought it was, then she would be; it meant James Potter and Sirius Black would be there as well.

 _Albus?_ He would definitely be in Heaven.

For once, Severus allowed himself to relax and let hope fill his body. The afterlife could be his reward for the good he's done, for the sacrifices he made for the greater good. He could only hope some more that he'd find happiness wherever he may be going.

"Next!" The chirpy voice squeaked and Severus realised he was getting closer to the front. He'd been standing here in a daze for what seemed like forever.

Another thought struck him: Had they won the war? Would he ever find out if they had? There were so many unanswered questions running through his mind and it aggravated him that he may never know the answers. The soothing harp melody eased the tension in his body and he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

His mother?

Severus' eyes flew open at the possibility. She may have died living a mundane life, but she was a witch. This was without a doubt the afterlife for magical beings. Did he want to see her again after everything? Many emotions flashed across his face and he did his best to suppress them for now. He wished to focus on the good that could be happening to him when he reached the desk.

He waited and waited until he was finally at the front. The person at the desk looked his way and flashed him a smile. "Name?" she asked, and he cautiously approached the table.

"Severus Snape," his baritone voice echoed around and he heard a distant gasp from the back of one of the lines. He turned his head slightly but soon focused his attention on the woman who was holding a piece of parchment.

"Congratulations on making it," she beamed up at him. "If you take your paper up to the people at the gate they will allow you to go through. Enjoy your new eternal life."

Severus nodded in thanks then followed behind the few people that moved towards the golden gates. There was another queue which trailed up to the Guardians at the entrance, but people had spread out a little and formed small circles. Severus watched some try to interact with one another and a joy long forgotten entered his heart at how easily they were accepted.

This process seemed to take longer than waiting in line for the desk, but Severus didn't mind. He'd made it. He was finally getting the freedom that he deserved and he was over the moon about it. A small smile grew on his face and he stared down at the parchment in his hands. It contained his birth information and there was a long list of things he'd done; most of it was bad, however, the red stamp at the bottom assured him that there hadn't been a mistake.

 _Good._ That's all it said and it meant the world to him.

Severus stood at the bottom of the stairs for a long time. More people joined him to wait and a few smiled at him innocently; he found himself returning the gesture. This was it, he could finally relax and live his eternal life freely.

He watched as the two male Guardians read off a list of names. Around twenty people were called forward and told to roll up their parchment and place it into the circular keyhole. Severus was slightly aghast when they disappeared with a pop, and after each person did it, gold magic rippled up the bars of the gate.

The crowd had become more sparse and he knew that he'd have to wait until it filled up some more before he got to see what Heaven looked like.

He lingered at the bottom step and kept his eyes glued to his shoes. _Perhaps I'll have a change of clothes...I stand out too much in these robes._ It was a striking contrast against the gold place he found himself in. He expected that the line to hell was filled with black robes and ghoulish masks. Merlin, he was thankful to be here and not there.

"Erm...Hello, sir."

Severus' back straightened. He recognised the voice and he couldn't understand why he was hearing it. Ever so slowly he lifted his eyes from the clouded floor and turned toward the voice. His eyes didn't deceive him and he could hardly believe that he was staring at Hermione Granger.

Her clothes were dishevelled, but clean, and there was a nasty scar on an exposed part of her chest. _Right over her heart._ Her hair fell in frizzy curls yet it seemed to shine beneath the golden hue of the gateway. A sudden tightness laced around his heart and the only thought that entered his mind was ' _what the bloody hell is she doing here?'._

Of all the things he expected her to do, what she did come as a surprise. The parchment fell from her fingertips and she ran across the large gap that separated them, then collided hard with his chest. Her small arms wrapped tightly around his waist and he heard her inhale sharply.

 _She's hugging me._

Severus wasn't sure why he did it, but he found himself returning her embrace. His arm came around her shoulders and he lowered his head by her hair. She sniffled and nuzzled her face against his clad body then pulled away to look up at him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered wiping away her tears. "It's just nice to see a familiar face."

He nodded in understanding and she quickly moved to retrieve her discarded parchment, then returned to his side. Severus discreetly tried to look at the cause of death on her profile, but she soon hid it in her back pocket. _How did she die?_ It seemed a very impolite question to ask someone, however, he was extremely curious.

"We won," she said with a smile, and relief flooded through Severus' veins. "Harry killed him."

He could see her bottom lip shaking and she bit down on it. That only meant one thing, she died after the war had been won. Severus wasn't sure how the timeframe worked between dying and moving up to the gateway, but she must've died shortly after the victory. He couldn't think of a more horrid way to go; dying right after knowing your life would be free from such evil.

"I'm glad," he replied as they both stared up at the golden gate. Severus found his eyes drifting back to her and he couldn't stop the small smile from growing on his face.

Of all the ways he could picture his life after death going, standing next to Hermione Granger while they waited to go to Heaven was beyond his wildest dreams. Yet, at this moment in time, he couldn't think of any other way he'd rather spend it.

* * *

 _ **AN:/ Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first part of a 3-part prologue. I'm very nervous about posting this story because of how much it relies on MY imagination as well as incorporating it with the world of Harry Potter! Please let me know what you think, and I'll be posting weekly!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Prologue [2 / 3]:**_

 _ **Of All The Ways.**_

Severus' eyes flew open to discover he was standing in the centre of a tranquil meadow. Butterflies and birds flew by and he heard the giggles of excitement coming from a young child chasing them. The long grass stopped behind his knees and the air felt a lot lighter here than at the spiritual gateway.

He soon became aware of his change of clothes. He wore a flowy, white shirt that was tucked into a pair of light brown trousers. With a quick glance to his left and right, he saw many others dressed in clean clothes and looking around in a daze.

A line of people waited by a tree across the meadow. Six official looking people carried quills and parchments while smiling at them all generously. The others seemed to be ordinary people, and by the looks of their teary faces, they were familiar ones to those who had just died.

There was a massive wave of people running and embracing one another, heaps of bodies landed on the green ground, kissing, sobbing, hugging, crying, and more kissing. An airy feeling ghosted over his chest, then he suddenly remembered who he arrived with.

 _Hermione._

Severus whirled around and saw her standing underneath an old-fashioned gazebo; it was a tiny, worn structure covered in moss and vines. A few other people stood around her looking at the reunions taking place, but she was staring at him.

She seemed to glow as she walked over to him slowly. Her body was covered by a white dress that stopped just above her knees; he could see the scar that must've inflicted her death, but it seemed to have faded slightly. Her hair was now tame and it fell behind her shoulders in gentle waves. Severus wasn't blind to beauty when he saw it, however, he'd do his best not to connect such a thought towards an ex-student.

Hermione smiled up at him. "I guess this is it."

"So it seems," he said, then they turned to see the Officials approaching. She stood proudly by his side with her head held high; a small smile grew on his face from her persistent flare of giddiness.

Maybe she hadn't believed in an afterlife and happened to be rather pleased that she was wrong.

They watched the Officials go around ticking people off their list. Those with family members and familiar faces were told to go with those they knew and they'd be guided through what to do next. Severus and Hermione were approached last by a young boy who had to be around eighteen.

"Hermione Granger and Severus Snape?" he asked.

"Yes," they replied together.

"Do you two know each other?"

His words immediately put Severus' back up straight; there was an instant thought that they could be separated, even if Severus didn't want to admit it consciously, he wasn't about to allow himself to be parted from Hermione. He needed familiarity, and she lived and breathed it.

"We do," Hermione replied cautiously. "Does that matter?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "I was just looking over your papers; they get attached to my clipboard the moment you put them through the keyhole at the gates. It says that you both died during a battle, one by a snakebite and the other-"

"What happens now?" Hermione interrupted him and Severus cast bemused eyes onto her. _Does she not want people to know how she died?_

"Oh…well I'll be your guide for today. Most of the people from your group had people waiting for them so it made our lives much easier as we're usually assigned a large number of people to guide," he explained. "I'll be taking you to a kingdom called Excalibur—it's the place where we take all the new arrivals and teach them the ongoings of Heaven."

"Kingdom?" Severus mumbled.

"Like Kings and castles?" Hermione asked and the boy chuckled at their similar expressions. "Excalibur as in the story around King Arthur and Merlin? The Merlin?!"

Severus jumped back when she squealed with delight; he imagined this was how it felt to be around a star-struck teenager.

"It has a medieval feel to it, with the compact housing and square marketplaces. There's a castle in the centre of it all, ruled by Merlin himself, and cleaned by servants—I use that term loosely as anyone can come and go as they please and have the choice on whether to work or not."

"Are you sure we haven't gone back in time to medieval England?" Severus asked more to himself than the other two.

"I bloody hope not," Hermione leaned closer to him and glanced around. "I'm guessing you have a lot you need to tell us?"

"You're correct Miss Granger, let's get moving!"

"Isn't this amazing, sir? Never in my life could I have imagined something like this," she stared up at the clear blue sky, then they started to follow behind the boy.

"It's adequate."

Hermione laughed at him before moving to catch up with their guide. "What's your name?"

"Jerome, a pleasure to meet you," He shook her hand and Severus walked in stride by his left side. He sneakily tried to have a look at Hermione's sheet, but he curled his lip in annoyance when it was his that covered hers.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"We might as well get the explanations started. By appearance alone, you'd assume I'm around eighteen, but I'm actually one hundred and two years old."

"How so?" Severus spoke up, mildly interested in how he looked so young. _I could do with using whatever the hell he's using._

"You don't age in Heaven if you're over the age of eighteen. However, if you, unfortunately, die before you turn eighteen, the magic in the air allows one to grow up until they're that age, then they stay that way forever. To those on earth, it may seem sad when their child dies at a young age, but there is comfort when their parents eventually arrive and discover that their child has grown up and started to live a long life."

"That is-"

"Beautiful," Hermione cut Severus off with a blissful sigh. _I was thinking more along the lines of depressing._

"It really is." The parchments attached to Jerome's board disappeared and were replaced with a long list of words with tick boxes next to them. "This is a list of everything I must go over with you before we can allow you to leave Excalibur."

"Where else is there to go?" Severus asked, and he soon felt eyes on him so he looked up just as Hermione averted her eyes.

"Heaven is endless; we view it as multiple layers since there are new places being discovered every day. Most people leave Excalibur and head out onto the open road exploring for the rest of eternity. You have to remember that there are people here from the beginning of magical time, and they're still travelling around. It's very rare that anyone sees the First Souls anymore."

"Is that what you call the first people to arrive here?" Hermione questioned, and Jerome nodded his head.

"Merlin is rarely seen, but he has ventured out a lot more in recent years with his friend Albus-" Hermione gasped, and Severus saw the moment she suddenly remembered everyone that had ever died.

"Professor Dumbledore, of course, he would be here," Severus mumbled. "Is he followed around by the mutt as well?"

"I don't know who you mean?" Jerome said.

"Sirius," Hermione whispered then gave him a perplexed look. "I think it's going to be weird to see them again. Doesn't that mean...James and Lily Potter…"

Severus refused to look at her; it was painfully obvious that she knew of his regrettable past, and he didn't want her sympathy.

"You can head to the local Seeking Souls in town to find people you know," Jerome smiled at them both. "They'll tell you where they are to the nearest kingdom."

 _It sounds like a dating agency._

Severus saw the sad look on Hermione's face, and he found himself almost ask what was bothering her. He shook the idea from his head and focused on the opening ahead through the trees.

The buzz of life filled their eyeline and they saw numerous people racing around. Some were travelling by horse-and-cart, while others carried baskets on their hips and talked with friends. A small bridge led over to the communal area where Severus could see some of the people they'd arrived with.

When he could finally look up without seeing leaves, Severus caught sight of the enormous castle in the distance. Gold flecks caused the sun to bounce off the walls and radiate the town below; he could hear the sound of music coming from far away, and a small dragon squawked overhead as it flew past them and headed towards the castle.

"Wow…" Hermione gasped, and Severus snapped out of his daze. "This place is beautiful."

He stared at the wondrous look on her face and the odd tightness laced around his heart once more.

"It's a hole," Severus muttered.

"You'll be stuck here for a week so you better get used to it," Jerome replied. "Let's go."

Hermione stepped over to Severus and walked alongside him; he felt her eyes all over his face as she smiled at everything that moved, but he could still sense her sadness.

"Sir, you have to admit that this place is amazing," she said as they started to cross the bridge.

"Why are you sad?"

Her smile disappeared. "I don't want to bore you, sir-"

"I wouldn't have asked. Also, stop calling me sir," he said. "I'm no longer your Professor."

"OK," she whispered. "I...my parents are Muggle and this is the afterlife for witches and wizards."

"Oh," he said in realisation, and they navigated their way through the small crowds. "I'm...sorry," he gave her a sympathetic look, then frowned. _Wasn't I just annoyed at her for giving me such a look about Lily?_

She shook her head. "It's perfectly OK, I'm sure a lot of people have had to go through the same thing."

"You still have every right to be sad about it," he pinned her with a look and she smiled back at him.

"Come along now!" Jerome waved them over and they followed behind him.

The distant sound of music started to relax Severus as they walked down a narrow alleyway. Hermione stayed by his side with a little skip in her step. They stopped in front of a chipped, wooden door, and Jerome knocked loudly.

"This will be your accommodation for the time being," he said. "Madam Leona-"

A curvy, dark-skinned woman flung open the door with a loud "Hello!", startling Hermione and causing her to collide with Severus. He reached out to steady her and she thanked him with another smile.

"You must be the new people, husband and wife?"

"Oh," Hermione's cheeks flushed pink, and Severus curled his lip in annoyance. He looked Hermione up and down then narrowed his eyes at the woman.

"Leona, they only know one another," Jerome chuckled.

"Ah, well that was slightly awkward," she pushed open the door some more. "Come on in!"

They walked into the wooden interior and Severus gazed around at the old decorations. It definitely screamed medieval England, and he found himself content with it.

"Tea?" Madam Leona offered.

"If you don't mind," Severus said as they sat down at the small table. He sensed Hermione gazing at him funnily and he leaned closer to her. "What's so amusing?" his tone warned her to answer carefully.

"Well...it's just odd hearing you be polite, sir."

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me sir," he retorted. "I'm capable of politeness Miss Granger."

"You can call me Hermione then...Severus," he turned away at the sound of his name coming from her lips. _It sounds weird._

"Oh, he was your Professor," Jerome took one of the biscuits from the middle of the table.

"Yes," Hermione took the teapot when Madam Leona placed it down on the table. She slid it to Severus who thanked her with a nod.

"Lovely biscuits Leona," Jerome grinned up at her and she hit him with the cloth in her hands. "What was that for?!"

"Those are biscuits for my house guests, not you!" she sat down with a huff and Jerome grabbed his list from the board.

"Right," he grumbled. "Any questions?"

"What are the rules here?" Severus asked.

"They're pretty similar to normal wizarding laws. Bad things still happen here, thankfully, we can never die so that's good."

"So what happens if we do get hurt?"

"The magic in the air will heal you, or stop the impending danger from happening," he ticked a box on the parchment. "You're given a weekly allowance as money is still used here. Everyone starts off with the same amount and it's enough that you can live comfortably. However, it's up to you whether you want to earn more by selling things or working."

"How do we access this money?" Hermione asked while reaching for one of the biscuits.

"Here," Jerome tossed two brown pouches in front of them. "These will automatically refill once a week, and there is a bank up by the castle for you to put money away if you make more than what can fit in there."

Severus grabbed the small pouch and stared at it. What does he want to do now? Work? Travel? Find his mother? He saw the troubled look on Hermione's face and knew she was thinking almost the same as him.

He cleared his throat. "What about our wands?"

"I'll take you to the market tomorrow morning," Madam Leona said. "There is a wand shop in each Kingdom in case you break it. They're not like the wands you're used to."

"How so?" Hermione wiped the crumbs from her mouth and leaned closer.

"They're more colourful," Jerome laughed then pulled out his bright orange wand. "You get to create your own! I've seen some fantastic ones over the years; Merlin himself has a solid gold wand."

"That's amazing," Hermione gasped. Severus wasn't as enthusiastic as her. _I only want a simple wand._

"Now, I'll show you to your rooms," Leona said and she led them upstairs.

The floorboards creaked beneath his feet and he glanced behind him to see Hermione smiling. Perhaps he was being stereotypical towards women, but he'd assumed she would be crying hysterically about being dead. _I never would've guessed that she would seem happy about it._

"This one is for you, Mister Snape," she pointed to the door on her right. "And that one is yours, Miss Granger," she gestured to the door opposite.

"You can call me Hermione," she said.

"OK, Hermione, take some time for yourselves and I'll have a nice meal ready in a few hours," she smiled at them both then walked back down the stairs.

Severus awkwardly looked at Hermione and settled for nodding his head and walking into his room. The door shut behind him and he slid the bolt across.

His bedroom held basic furniture: a wooden bed, wardrobe, dresser, and a mirror. He walked over to stare at his reflection and lowered himself onto the bed with a sigh.

The lines on his face seemed to have deepened and a nice set of bags nestled beneath his eyes. _So much for not ageing here_. Maybe it was because he'd avoided mirrors during the last few years of his life; the stress of his last year had aged him much quicker.

 _So this is my life now?_ Severus smiled to himself. The weight had fled his shoulders and he felt like he could finally be himself. There wasn't much of a character difference between his normal and Death Eater self, however, one was less painful to live.

Severus stayed in his room for a few hours, he dozed off now-and-then, only to wake up to the sound of Leona shouting that dinner was ready.

He got to his feet eagerly and walked down the stairs with his stomach grumbling. A lovely roast dinner covered the small table and Leona beamed over at him.

"Everyone knows that I'm the best cook in the afterlife, so I won't tolerate any complaining," she started scrubbing a dirty pan, and Severus sat down.

"Why don't you use magic?" he asked while he waited for Hermione to come down.

"The nostalgia kind of wears off over time—those who have been here a while tend to do things by hand now," she explained.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" Severus forced away his smile. _I can't remember the last time I initiated small talk._

"I'm at the ripe old age of six hundred and one!" She wiped her forehead with a cloth. "I've been welcoming the newbies for two hundred years—I may consider changing my job soon; I've heard that travelling is the best way to live out the rest of your life."

"Travelling...do you have any places in mind? The idea appeals to me."

Severus mentally urged himself on. _I'm having a normal, mundane conversation._ He could picture his old students shaking in fear and fainting at the simple thought of him being civil.

"There's an endless amount of places. My friend Rebecca was the first to discover an island made out of cake—"

"Cake?" he narrowed his eyes at the thought, then Leona nodded her head.

"It has been added to the map. I believe it takes around a year to get there, you have to trek over some of the highest mountains and weave through the lowest valleys. Rebecca is a popular explorer—that's another job if it's of any interest to you."

"I'm not sure whether I want to work yet," Severus kept glancing at the food. _Where is she?_

"You have all the time in the world, literally! I feel like you could benefit from seeing the limitless world you're in now," she turned around to face him. "There is one place I would recommend going."

"Where?"

"There's a small village a few months journey away from here. It's a calm place filled with relaxing music, and some of the finest food I've ever had—not as good as mine though—I spent a year there, dancing with strangers and meeting a lot of new people. It tends to attract the people that have been here the longest, so I'd definitely recommend Dosrose Village."

"I'll consider it," Severus smiled back at her then got to his feet. "I'm going to go and see what's taking her so long."

He made his way up the stairs, much lighter on his feet than he had been before. Her bedroom door was open a little, so it didn't mask the sound of her crying.

 _I've never been good at dealing with people who are upset._

Severus knew that he could turn away, but his body moved on its own accord, and he walked into the room. She sniffled then turned to look at him.

"Oh," she wiped the tears from her face. "I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly," he murmured and stood awkwardly at the foot of her bed. "I suppose it would be stupid of me to ask what's wrong."

She sighed. "It just hit me all of sudden...we died...I'm dead...and I'll never get to see my parents again; they won't even know I existed because I wiped myself from their memories."

Severus didn't know what to say. He had no idea what words would comfort her, and he doubted anything would ease her pain.

Hermione got to her feet and brushed the creases from her dress. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, but it can wait if you still need time—" she walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist.

 _Why does she keep hugging me?_

Severus swallowed the lump in the back of his throat and waited for her to finish _. I don't understand how she's getting any comfort out of this?_ Perhaps he was wrong, maybe a hug would help her a little.

He responded soon after, gently holding her in his arms. "Professor—Severus...can I stay with you for a while?"

"What do you mean?" he said by her ear.

"I mean, once we are allowed to leave this place, can I go wherever you go?"

Severus pulled away and stared down at her. "I'm sure there are many other things you might want to consider-"

"I want to go travelling, with you."

* * *

 _ **AN:/ Thank you for the response to the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, so let me know what you think and I'll update again in a weeks time!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Prologue [ 3/3 ]:**_

 _ **Of All The Ways.**_

The new silver wand fitted comfortably in his hand. It resembled a fallen branch on a winters day, and the magical aura felt soothing to Severus. _This place is terribly odd_. He had to admit that he liked it a lot.

Hermione stood next to him smiling down at her multi-coloured wand. The man who owned the shop started dancing around the moment she stepped inside; apparently, he could sense her many passions, which meant she deserved one of his more brightly coloured wands.

They walked out of the shop together, and Leona went over to one of the market stalls. Hermione almost got lost in the fast moving crowd, so Severus reached out to her and she grabbed his wrist.

He hadn't addressed her wish yet, truthfully, he wasn't sure what to do about it. _Her company doesn't bother me, I just don't want to hold her back._

Leona waved her hand to show them where she was, and they joined her at the stall. Severus saw a variety of different fruits that didn't look familiar to him. A foul smell entered his nostrils. He glanced a few stalls down and saw a man stirring an awful concoction.

"Try this," Leona forced a purple fruit into Hermione's mouth and a blissful smile grew on her face.

"Oh wow," she sighed, then held out the fruit to him. "It tastes delicious."

He stared into her sparkling eyes. "Fine." Reluctantly, he took the fruit from her—it tasted divine.

"What's it called?" Hermione asked.

"The Sweet Merlin."

Severus stopped himself from laughing, but Hermione burst out into a chorus of giggles.

"Come along now, let's buy some new clothes for you," Leona ushered them away from the stall as if they were her children, and Severus felt a small hand in his own.

"I don't want to get lost again," Hermione said.

"Right," he muttered to himself.

She didn't bring feelings of discomfort, he just didn't understand why it felt normal to him. No one had ever needed to hold his hand or wanted to; it was only now that he realised he wished someone had before. _I guess I should try plenty of new things now that I'm here, forever._

"Leona, can women still have babies here?" Hermione asked, and Severus gave her an odd look. _What sort of question is that?_

She held open the door for him and he thanked her with a nod. Leona seemed to pause at the question then she smiled sadly.

"It's very rare that it happens. As of right now, you're no longer fit to carry a child, but there is a potion that can remove the restriction if you make a good case to Merlin."

"Oh...that seems rather sad, I thought this new life is meant to be filled with hope," Leona held a dress up against Hermione's front, and Severus listened with mild interest.

"Merlin likes to encourage those who want children to adopt those who don't have parents. Muggleborn children are a rarity, but when they do turn up, most couples are more than willing to take them in. Also, the babies who die before their real parents, are given to a loving home to be brought up in. You can ask Jerome if you have any more questions."

"I will—when is he coming back? Doesn't he have to go through this list with Severus and me?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at her. The sound of his name on her lips still didn't feel right to him, but there was no point in telling her to stop it since he told her not to call him "Sir".

"He should be coming by later," Leona said. "How about this one?" she grabbed a white tunic and a brown waistcoat, then held it out to him.

"No thank you," he grumbled. "I can choose my own clothes."

"I'm sure you can; I only wish to help you-"

"What about this?" Severus turned to see Hermione was holding onto an outfit that much resembled his teaching clothes, minus the billowing fabric of his robes. "I rather think this suits you well."

Hermione smiled at him in an oblivious kind of way, like she had no idea how much that smile could bend a man against his will. He had no desire to return to his old fashion sense, but he couldn't deny that it brought him comfort.

She stared at him for a while, and he realised he hadn't responded.

"Leona and I will leave you to browse on your own. I saw a stall selling books that I'd like to check out," Hermione put the clothes back and walked from the shop. He watched her disappear into the crowd through the window, then he quickly shook his head and moved around the wooden racks.

 _I wonder where I should go from here?_ Severus wanted to find his mother, so he needed to stop by the local Seeking Souls to see where she is. _Will she be happy to see me?_

Severus glanced lazily over the clothes, not bothering to think about anything he was looking for. A thought lingered at the forefront of his mind, would Hermione really come with him?

The whole idea of an afterlife was to live freely, and do all the things you ever desired—he didn't understand why her wish was to go travelling with him. _Perhaps she is scared of being on her own?_

Potter and that Weasley fellow rarely left her side, plus her parents will never see her again. Severus understood her worries, but he wasn't sure whether he wanted to allow her to come with him. He wasn't opposed to the idea of her coming— _won't she get bored of being around me?_

After ten minutes of mindless wandering, he returned to the clothes she had originally picked out, grabbed some other outfits that matched, then paid the man so he could rejoin Leona and Hermione. Severus quickly shrunk his new clothes with his silver wand and put them in his pocket.

The thick crowd bustled around him, and he glanced around for any sign of them. A tiny hand erupted from the mass of people and Hermione started to call out to him.

"Over here!" she jumped so he could see her face. "Severus, we're over here-"

"I can see you perfectly well!" he snapped, and she smiled back at him.

They stood in front of the bookstall and Leona's basket was full of scrolls and worn covers. Hermione kept adding more and paying the woman each time, he came to stand by her side and glanced over some of the titles.

"Look at all of this," Hermione gushed. "I cannot wait to read all about this place."

Severus could relate to her excitement, however, he was better at hiding it. He picked up a book titled ' _The Chronicles of Rocky Valley,'_ and paid the lady.

"You can borrow some of mine if you'd like?" Hermione looked up at him with delight in her eyes, and he could only nod back blankly.

They moved to the next stall and eventually made their way around all the appealing ones. Leona led them back to their current house and it sparked a thought in Severus' mind.

"What is the property value like here?" he asked as they placed all of their things on the small table.

"There are plenty of relaxing inns that charge a certain amount a week, but buying yourself a home usually involves saving up some of your money," Leona started to heat up some water for their tea. "If you make a good case though, the property workers tend to be more lenient on the selling price."

"OK," he glanced at Hermione to see she was already submerged in a book. "Do you own this place?"

"Yes I do," she started to place the cups on their saucers. "It took me six months to save for this place. It may take a little longer if you want to stay in a more secluded place."

Severus stayed and talked with Leona for a while, he didn't even notice when Hermione left the table to take her things upstairs. They sat at the table drinking tea, and he found himself ravished in their small talk and all the new things he was learning.

"One of the scholars in charge of the mapping of this world approached Hermione while you were in the shop," she said over her tea. "He received her information and wanted to know whether she was interested in joining their team to write the information books on this place. It's very rare that they hire anybody, so she must be a bright woman."

"What did she say to them?"

"She seemed interested in it, but she wants to think it over," Severus sighed and stared at a chipped part of the table.

 _Maybe this means she won't want to travel with me anymore? Good...I think._ He wished her all the best on her new job prospect; he couldn't see how she would pass up such an opportunity.

"You look sad," she leaned closer slightly. "I thought she was your student?"

"She was-"

"Honey, I'm home!" The door flew open and in walked a buff, dark-skinned man holding a large crossbow. Two chickens were slung over his shoulder and he tossed them onto the table in front of them.

"Max, how many times have I told you not to put your kills on the bloody table!" Leona pointed at them, and the man he now knew as Max, smirked back at her.

"Aren't you going to give me a kiss?" he stalked towards her, and Severus found himself feeling uncomfortable.

"Get it off my table!" she crossed her arms over her chest. He quickly moved the chickens and put them next to the large pot.

"Can I have my kiss now?" Leona pinned him with a venomous look, but she soon broke and moved to kiss him.

"How was your trip?" she asked.

"Everything went well, Ben had a bad fall but he's doing fine now," he explained. "You must be one of the new people, a pleasure to meet you…?"

"Severus."

"His Hermione is upstairs," Leona smirked wickedly.

"For goodness sake woman, I have no affiliations with her-"

"Leona, would you mind helping me with my clothes?" Hermione called from upstairs.

"Run along and help her," Max stared at him and pointed towards the stairs.

"You-"

"I'm only joking Severus. I know she's just your student," Leona walked over to the stairs laughing.

"I'll join you."

"No you will not!" Severus and Leona said at the same time.

"You're all a bunch of killjoys."

...

Severus sat down on the long box beneath his window and opened up the wooden doors to stare down at the dark alley below. One of Hermione's books rested in his lap; she had bombarded him at dinner and insisted that he read this certain book she had skimmed across.

 _It's pretty enlightening._

There was a tavern not too far away which meant he could hear the song and cheers coming from inside. He felt at peace with the world as he stared up at the large moon in the night sky.

Tomorrow he had plans to go to the local Seeking Souls to find out where his mother is. _I'm going to go and see her first, then consider travelling around._ He had pondered on the thought of finding Lily, but he wasn't ready to reopen that wound yet.

Leona mentioned renting a horse-and-cart to travel in as Apparating required a specific license. It was discovered a long time ago that if one dies during apparating somewhere, there is no coming back from it. A man lost his head after a drunken night and the magic in the air couldn't heal him—no ones knows what became of him. This prompted Merlin to alter the magic of this world to take away everyone's ability to do so.

He had just finished talking to Jerome who had stopped by to tell them some more information. They were expected to be polite to others and treat people with respect. Severus didn't need to be told twice, he would plaster an awkward smile on his face all the time if it meant he got to stay here.

 _I wonder what it's like back at Hogwarts? I want to know how Hermione died...it was such a gruesome question to ask someone, but she doesn't seem to want to talk about it._

A light knock came from the door and it opened slowly to reveal a dishevelled looking Hermione. She wore a plain nightgown that stopped at her knees and her hair curled upright at the ends.

"I couldn't sleep," she yawned and took a seat next to him.

He bit back his harsh response—why was she coming to him because she couldn't sleep? Severus looked back out of the window and she joined him. They sat in silence for a while and he occasionally glanced her way to take in the expression on her face.

Back when she had been his student, reading her was the easiest thing in the world. Her friends could anger her quickly, and he knew exactly when he annoyed her. However, right now, nothing passed over her soft features.

"Do you miss home?" she asked.

"I never felt at home where you did."

She flashed him a sad smile. "I suppose so."

"I don't need your sympathies."

"A person is allowed to feel sad when someone doesn't feel like they belonged in a place where they mattered the most," she turned away from the open window to look at him.

"It appears even though we went to the same place, we lived completely different lives," Severus cleared his throat and averted his eyes from hers.

More silence fell, and he felt like he needed to fill it with talk, but no subject came to mind. Hermione started to shift uncomfortably until she gave up with a sigh.

"Why haven't you asked me yet?"

"Excuse me?"

"Aren't you going to ask how I died?"

There it was. The burning question which he now didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer too. Her eyes held shame and numerous scenarios appeared in his mind. _What did they do to her? It must've been Death Eaters, but what exactly happened?_

"It seems impolite to ask someone that," he settled on saying.

"I…" she mumbled something under her breath so he couldn't hear.

"What did you say?"

"I went back to get your body."

He didn't register her words immediately, but as the imaginary seconds ticked closer to midnight, her words dawned on him.

"No...No!" he got to his feet and glared down at her.

A tightness laced around his heart and he suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe properly. _Why would she do that?_

"W-What?" The words refused to form correctly on his tongue, and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"We were collecting the dead...no one had mentioned going back for your body, so I decided to leave Hogwarts and retrieve you myself," she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "All the adrenaline from the fight had left my body; I wasn't paying attention, so I missed when a lone Death Eater came out of nowhere. My remaining energy was enough to get me to the Shrieking Shack...where he fired the Killing Curse at my heart...I'm pretty sure they found my body next to yours."

"Why would you risk your life for something so stupid?!"

"It wasn't stupid to me!" she snapped back.

"You left on your own, right after a bloody war! That's stupidity if I ever heard it!" he turned away from her and tried to control the anger bubbling inside of him.

"I don't regret it…" she whispered.

"Well, you should."

"Oh," Severus turned in time to see her slamming the door shut behind her.

...

The next week passed by at an agonisingly slow speed. Leona had informed him that Hermione had taken up the job offer from one of the scholars, so she would be starting there at the end of this week. Severus didn't give much of a response as he hadn't seen a lot of Hermione since their argument in his bedroom. _She seems to have a talent for avoiding people._

Seeking Souls proved to not be of any help as they couldn't locate his mother anywhere; it meant that she was staying somewhere that hadn't been put on the map yet. He had plans to stop off at Dosrose Village along the way, then see if he can find anyone who might help him find her. While at Seeking Souls, he almost inquired about Lily. He was thankful that he managed to stop himself because he didn't need it to dampen his mood more.

Severus looked at the two satchels on his bed then sighed. He was due to leave in a matter of minutes, but he couldn't get himself to move from the window seat. His bedroom door was wide open which meant he could see Hermione's closed door.

 _It would be wrong of me to leave things the way they are…_

He couldn't ignore his anger towards her. _Why would she bother going back for me right after they'd won the war?_ There were many questions racing through his mind, but he didn't have the confidence to voice them all. _I'm torn between feeling pissed off or being mildly flattered that she went back for me._

"Severus, your cart is ready!" Leona called from the kitchen. With another sigh, he picked up his belongings and headed downstairs.

Leona's husband has been a thorn in his side for the past week; he seemed to have a guidebook on all the ways to infuriate him, so he was happy to see the back of him. Leona smiled at him when he reached the bottom step, and they went outside together. The cart contained some extra belongings that Leona thought were necessary for his journey—a few too many by the looks of things.

Severus climbed up on the seat and dumped his bags in the back. The horse shifted slightly and he reached out to pet his brown coat.

"Why is there so much?" he nodded to the back of the cart.

"Well—"

"Is everything ready?" Hermione came running from the alleyway with a bag hanging over her shoulder and a map in her hand.

"Yes," Leona said with another beaming smile. "It was lovely meeting you both."

The pair hugged, then Hermione climbed into the spot next to him. _What in Merlin's name is she doing?_

"Goodbye!" Leona waved at them and headed back inside.

"Are you ready?" Hermione turned to look at him. "We can take it in turns if you want? Would you like to read the map first or hold the reins?"

"What are you doing?" he retorted.

"I'm coming with you," she said. "I accepted the job with the scholars, but I asked if I could do it while travelling. I'll be collecting information on the move and recording everything down for them."

"I thought you were...you still want to come?"

She nodded.

Severus stared at her for a while, unable to understand why she was sitting next to him. _I assumed she wouldn't want to talk to me after that night?_ It wasn't that big of an argument, but he couldn't fathom as to why she wanted to travel with him still.

Her smile seemed to chip away at him, so he quickly nodded back and got the horse moving. "We're heading to Dosrose Village."

"OK," she hummed. "Found it!"

He listened carefully to her instructions as they made their way out of the kingdom. Severus felt that odd tightness wrap around his heart, and he turned his head to look at her for a moment. There was no sadness on her face; he could see clearly now that she was happy, happy to be here with him.

* * *

 **AN:/ Hello! I hope you enjoyed the final part of the prologue! Please let me know what you think?**

 **Some brief information for you all. The only GOOD people who died during the war were Severus and Hermione. Others will be appearing in due time. There will be a bit of a time jump in the first chapter because I want to have them both in a comfortable/awkward friendship before anything progresses into more! Also, this story isn't just going to be romance, lets just say that drama will soon arrive when they come to realise that a certain evil someone is wanting to break out of Hell... ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

_**~ Chapter One ~**_

 _ **Four Months Later:**_

"My only question is, how?"

Severus craned his neck back and stared up at Hermione as she dangled upside down with a rope wrapped around her ankle. They were deep within the forest near Dosrose Village on an animal scavenger hunt; Hermione had easily persuaded him to join her. And now, here she was, caught in an animal trap.

"I saw the blue rabbit," she poked out her bottom lip like a child, and her face started to go red from being upside down. "Can you help me?"

"No, I rather enjoy you like this."

"Severus!" she squealed. "I left my wand back at the inn."

They'd only separated for a few minutes, but it seemed that she couldn't be left unsupervised without running off to discover new things like a child. He mused over the thought of letting her down and raised a raven brow.

"Come on, please Severus, I promise I won't run off again."

"You're a grown woman."

She grinned wickedly. "I've been waiting for you to notice." Her words caused his wand to fly in the direction of the rope, and she landed on the ground with a thud.

It seemed that now they were free from all obligations from the real world, the dysfunctional pair enjoyed teasing one another relentlessly. _I've never known myself to be so childish — not even during my miserable childhood._

There was just something about her that made him feel at ease; it didn't matter that they used to be teacher and student, she had such an effect on him that none of it mattered. _I'd hate for anyone I know to see me now._

Severus didn't know whether it was plausible, but it may even be possible that she was flirting with him. The idea shocked him and caused the tightness to return to his chest. _I don't think anyone has ever flirted with me before and meant it_. He didn't understand why, but he also didn't hate it either.

Hermione got to her feet and wiped the leaves from her clothes. Her hair fell in a wild mess down her back, and she blew a few strands away from her face then grinned at him.

"That was very rude, sir."

That was a new thing she was trying out. Whenever he did something out of his normal character, she remarked him with her man-bending smile and called him "sir."

"We should head back and get ready to leave for tomorrow," he said while he walked away from her. She easily caught up to him and happily strolled by his side radiating innocence and purity — which are pretty much the same, so she just glowed with something Severus usually hated seeing on people. Not her though.

They had plans to head back onto the open road tomorrow after spending a few days in Dosrose Village. Severus had to admit that Leona was correct about the place. They were welcomed with open arms, and the nightlife held a calming aura that allowed them both to relax while a Celtic tune played from a lute.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Sunny Valley," she mused. "I hope it's as good as Frederick says it is."

Frederick was the owner of the inn they were staying at. Since Hermione was a lot more talkative than him, she managed to make instant friends with the six-hundred-year-old man, and discovered that Sunny Valley was the best place to visit.

 _I can guarantee I won't like it._ Severus' gloomy attitude still existed inside of him, and he wasn't expecting miracles; however, it was now a feature of him rather than a flaw. Hermione didn't mind his negative response to things because she matched it with her upbeat personality, and humoured his words most of the time.

"That man would tell you a volcano was the place to be if it got you to flirt with him," he grumbled and she gasped.

"I certainly do not flirt with him!" she exclaimed. "I'm just being friendly."

"You can admit you like your men ancient, Miss Granger."

She scoffed in response, then playfully nudged him. "You sound jealous-"

"Stop it woman!" he shook her off as they broke free from the trees, and made their way into the square of the village.

"Perhaps I should tell Louisa that you'd like to take her out on a date?"

He whirled around to point his finger at her. "You will do no such thing!" Louisa was an insufferable woman who wouldn't give up on touching and talking to him. He'd narrowly escaped her this morning when she tried to tag along on their outing. He was glad that Hermione came to his rescue, lightly touching his arm and dragging him away from her vice grip.

"Lovers quarrel?" They both turned to look at Frederick, who was wiping down one of the wooden tables outside the inn.

Colour flooded Hermione's cheeks and she sheepishly shook her head, but Severus rolled his eyes then curled his lip at her.

"I'm sorry I asked," Frederick chuckled, and they headed inside quickening their pace when Louisa's voice could be heard from the kitchen.

They had adjoining rooms, which clearly meant nothing to Hermione since she fell asleep sprawled out on his bed last night. He had to sleep in her bed. _It smelled like her...I hated every second of it._

It didn't escape his notice how comfortable he was becoming around her; he felt like he was living the life he should've as a child, and Severus found himself unable to wiggle his way out of their normal routine together. _I've tried to say cruel things to her as a way to test if she was truly OK with being around me, but she never breaks and continues to beam at me every day._

 _I'm surprised her chatter doesn't annoy me during our long days of travelling._ They took turns holding the reins and map; sometimes they'd talk and sometimes they'd sit in companionable silence, and Severus could safely say that he enjoyed it.

Hermione walked into his room behind him and opened the door that led to hers. She slid over a crate to keep the door open then got to work on packing up her things. Severus had wondered about working for a bit so he could save up to buy someplace to call home. Even though he didn't know how long Hermione was staying with him, she still collected a lot of stuff on their travels.

All of her bags are weighed down by books, and she gets them out when they travel so she can read to him. During those times, he would find himself feeling uncomfortable around her because her voice lowered in a sultry way, and he hated that it got a reaction from him.

 _She's my ex-student...who will never age...but she's still somebody I watched grow up!_

Severus picked up his bag and started to force his belongings inside. The loud rustling almost blocked out her whisper coming from the other room.

"Are you OK with me being with you?" he'd never heard her sound so timid, and her words sent shivers down his spine.

"I would've said if I no longer want you around," his baritone response didn't ease her worry. He inclined his head to the right and saw her leaning against the door frame.

"I know," she said. "There's just a voice of doubt in my mind...you deserve a chance to be free from everything that brought you here. That includes me since I was at Hogwarts."

He paused with a white shirt in his hand. "Miss Granger you don't hold any bad memories in my mind about Hogwarts. Even though you set my robes on fire at a Quidditch game."

"I'm being serious," she sighed. "I can go somewhere on my own."

"It sounds like you want that," he said defensively. "You can go ahead and do what you like-"

"You'll tell me if I ever get too much?"

"Of course."

"Good," she shook off her sombre attitude and returned to pack up her things. "I asked Frederick where the nearest Seeking Souls is and he says it's in Termos Kingdom, do you want to see if your mother has appeared?"

Severus had told her about her mother a week into their journey. She didn't push for any more information about his home life as a child, and it made him smile that she could sense when not to push for answers.

"I suppose we can," he muttered. "I really don't think I'll find her."

"Have some faith, Severus, we'll find her."

 _We._

Severus liked the sound of that.

"Oh, Severus!" Louisa's deep voice travelled down the hall as she approached his bedroom door. He raced over and locked the door then readied his wand in case she tried to break in. Hermione arrived at his side with a smirk.

"I think she loves you," she whispered.

"Do shut up," he grumbled back as the knock sounded against the wood.

"Severus are you there?"

"We're a bit busy, Louisa!" Hermione shouted back and Severus narrowed his eyes at her.

"Busy?"

"Yes, Severus pulled a muscle so he's naked right now and waiting for me to massage him!"

The door handle rattled hard and colour pinched at Severus' cheeks. "Granger, I swear to Merlin I will-"

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're sure missing a delightful sight Louisa — what a shame, he's putting his clothes back on now! We'll speak to you later."

Louisa's footsteps faded away along with her growls of protest. Hermione grinned up at him and his wand hand twitched to hex her.

"If you would stop embarrassing me that would be great!"

"So you do like Louisa?"

"Definitely not! That woman is almost as insufferable as you!" he returned to his bag and Hermione walked away laughing in an airy kind of way.

Every time she laughed like that something tightened in Severus' chest. He wondered if it was his body telling him that he was ready to find somebody — his sexual endeavours had been limited and degrading back in the real world. He'd never left one of them feeling satisfied or happy.

Does that mean he wants to be with Hermione? Severus paused and stared at the open door. The vice grip around his heart tightened. She moved to the dresser near the doorway and looked his way with a smile.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

He cleared his throat. "I'm fine, woman."

"Whatever you say, sweetie pie."

Severus went about his business muttering to himself about how insufferable she was. _Of course I'm not attracted to her, also, there's no attractive quality about me for her to even look at me that way._

…

The horse pulled the cart at a steady tempo, rocking occasionally over small stones. Hermione sat quietly by his side and moved her wand over the map. They had decided to head West and see what they stumble across, but as Severus had come to learn, Hermione needed a plan for everything. Sunny Valley will take a long time to get to.

A scratch marred the back of her hand, and Severus recalled the catty way Louisa had acted towards her this morning. They'd managed to make it to the cart without being seen, but the stupid woman raced out from the kitchen and started fawning all over him. Hermione told her to back off and pulled her hand off him receiving a sharp claw to her hand.

He watched as it started to fade away until her pale flesh was clear once more.

 _Perhaps she does like me,_ a voice whispered in the back of his mind. Severus flinched away from the thought and savoured a glance her way. The sun rested high in the midday sky and Severus was finally grateful for the colour beginning to show on his body. He wasn't as pale as before, but he was still pale compared to the tanned standard.

"Would you stop fussing over it?" he grumbled and she tutted in response.

"We can't just wander off without a plan!" she exclaimed. "You may be fine with going all willy-nilly but I'm not."

"Willy-nilly?" he chuckled. "Leave it be, Granger."

"I'll do as you say, sir," she gave him a mock salute and continued to scan the map. "Do you think we should get our apparating licenses?"

"I don't think we have a need for them right now," he said. "It seems pointless."

"But what if we need to head back to the capital quickly?"

 _She has a valid point._ They couldn't just do it as and when they pleased anymore. The magic in the air prevented them from doing so — _for our safety_ — and getting a license means the scholars will alter the magic to allow the obtainer to apparate.

"You might want to go and see Dumbledore-"

"I've told you already that I don't wish to see the man!"

She had the cheek to roll her eyes. "You say that, but all I can hear is, 'I want to go and see him.'"

"Has anyone told you how— "

"Insufferable?"

"—delusional you are!"

Hermione smiled back at him like he'd told her she meant the world to him. They bicker as if they've been married for years. Severus' jaw clenched and he focused on the scenery ahead.

"There's a city called Ravos about a days drive away from here," she explained. "Maybe we can settle there and see if we can find a quick route to Termos."

"We don't have to go there-"

"Why shouldn't we do something that you want to do?" she retorted. "We're partners, which means we need to balance things out. We seem to always do what I want, so for once, we're doing something that you've been wishing to do for a long time."

"It might be wasted time," he muttered and glanced away from her. I can't look her in the eyes without seeing her sympathy.

"And if it is, we'll check at the next Kingdom we travel through," she tapped the map for emphasis. A few minutes of silence passed until his mind focused on something she'd said.

"Partners?"

"Well, what exactly did you think we are?" she smirked back at him. "I'm happy to be your partner and friend."

They were yet to use that word. It hadn't meant much to him back in reality, but hearing her call him a friend meant the world to him.

He cleared his throat. "So, Ravos?"

"Yes, is that OK with you?"

"That's fine with me."

"Good! That means we have to camp tonight and then we will get there around midday tomorrow."

"Bloody great."

He hated camping with a passion. Hermione always woke up chirping with the birds, and within moments, she would be avoiding a hex he'd thrown her way. He wasn't a morning person.

They journeyed into the night and by the time they found a spot in the woods, Hermione was asleep with her head on his shoulder. The tightness returned to his chest so he nudged her a little too hard, and she awoke with a start.

"Oh, are we stopping here?" she rubbed her eyes with a yawn.

"It's the best place I could find," he jumped down from the cart and started to free the horse so he could roam about. The jewel around his neck prevented him from running off.

Hermione removed the tent from the back and tossed it on the ground. She waved her wand and it exploded into a four-man tent, but they both knew it was much larger on the inside. She began to move their belongings inside as he settled down the horse and made sure the cart was locked into place.

Severus joined her inside and saw she was standing over a cooking pot. The flame glowed underneath from a single twig and two bowls floated from the bag by her feet. He took a seat at the table she worked on and started to sort through the many books they'd collected.

"Do you ever wonder what's happening back in reality?" she asked out of the blue.

"Not really," it was the truth, he didn't want to recall anything about his life prior to Heaven. He could see the worry on her face. "However, there's nothing wrong with you doing that. You actually have people who care for you back there."

"So do you," she quipped back.

"I highly doubt that."

"Harry will be missing you."

He didn't bother to look up from the book he was scanning. "Him missing me is based off his own imagination."

"Why can't you just accept that people care?"

"Why can't you sense that I don't want to talk about it?!" he snapped, and she glared at him. "I'm happy here knowing that they're far away from me."

"You'd be thinking the same way about me if I wasn't dead?"

"Very much so."

"Cook your own dinner!" she slammed down the ladle and walked through the silver drapes that shielded her makeshift room. His eyes narrowed in annoyance, and it came to his attention once more that they were like an old married couple — _I don't want to go to bed knowing that she's mad at me._

However, he did so, reluctantly.

* * *

AN:/ Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed the last chapter! I'm glad to see so many of you are enjoying this so far! As you can see in this chapter I'm leaning towards them having a playful friendship, with Severus starting to realise that he likes something about her. But does Hermione feel the same way? You'll have to wait and find out! Oh, and just to clear things up, this is not a reflection of my religious beliefs, since I don't have any. But I can appreciate the wide variety that exist!


	5. Chapter 5

_**~ Chapter 2 ~**_

They pulled up outside the bustling city of Ravos with glum faces. Severus paid the man to watch over their belongings as Hermione grabbed her satchel, purposefully leaving him behind. She submerged herself in the crowd and he lost sight of her immediately.

 _Stupid woman! I cannot believe she is still angry at me — I did nothing wrong!_

He followed in her footsteps and found himself whisked away in the wave of people. Bells chimed and a gong vibrated his ears when he passed a rather lively market stall. After a few minutes, he broke free of the crowd and stepped out into the spacious market square.

A fountain glistened in the middle as children splashed around in the water. He spotted Hermione standing at a book stall, so he walked over mumbling to himself. She didn't look his way as he came to a stop by her side.

"Are you going to ignore me for the rest of eternity?"

She opened up the flap of her bag and paid the man for her book, then walked off in the opposite direction. He could tell she was trying to test his patience; she sighed every other minute and lingered too long when talking to the owners of the stalls.

 _Perhaps my words upset her more than I realised?_ They carried on their little cat-and-mouse game until Severus spotted something about to strike them from the corner of his eyes. Hermione turned around quickly and put herself in front of him with one hand on his chest and the other waving at the owner.

The snake rose from the basket with a hiss. Its purple skin shimmered beneath the sunlight, and the moistness on its fangs taunted him. Severus didn't know how to react, but it was clear that Hermione did.

"What's wrong with you?!" she snapped.

"I'm sorry, miss."

"Sorry? Is it a poisonous snake?"

"Yes, miss."

"Be more careful next time!"

Hermione pushed at his chest and led him away from the stalls. They slipped into a nearby alleyway, and she stayed close to him. "Are you OK?"

He stared down at her with a passive look on his face. "I'm fine." She smiled at him sadly, then became aware of her hand on his chest. She pulled away quickly and gave him some space to gather his senses.

There wasn't much he could've done to prepare himself — he hadn't expected to have a snake sneak up on him like that. Hermione adjusted the strap of her bag, unintentionally forcing up her breasts. Severus' eyes moved in their direction for a mere second before he focused on her face.

 _Well, that's one way to distract me._

"Shall we head back out?" she touched his arm again and glanced out at the busy marketplace.

All it took was a stupid snake to get her to talk to him again. He felt the tension between them disappear and they carried on their journey around the stalls. After almost an hour passed, they found themselves raiding a herb stand.

"Did you ever really enjoy potions?" she asked while turning over one of the labels to examine the information.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "It lost its appeal after I left school, but I was good at it."

"Do you fancy buying some ingredients, and trying the concoctions from the book I grabbed back at the capital?"

He liked that she was asking if he was comfortable with doing something that had once caused him unwarranted strain. "I don't mind."

"I found one that can turn you into a tiny creature of your choice — I can't decide what adorable thing I want to turn into for a short while-"

"You're rambling."

She scoffed. "I'm excited."

"I'll watch you do it just in case you mess up; need I remind you about your little accident back in-" her hands flew to her ears and she walked off shouting "la la la." Severus followed behind her with a deep chuckle.

They finished off their rounds around the market and returned to load up the cart with everything. Hermione pulled out the map and started to fuss over it.

"Shall we stay here for a while?" she asked.

"Whatever you want."

"That doesn't help!" she squeaked in frustration, and Severus smiled to himself as he moved around some of their bags. "I'm thinking we should head-"

"Excuse me?" A young girl approached them with a basket full of scrolls. Hermione stopped her musing and crouched down in front of the shy child.

"Hello," she smiled. "Can I help you?"

"You're cordially invited to attend the dance in the market this evening to celebrate my birthday," she held out a scroll and Hermione giggled.

"I am?"

"Your husband can come as well!" Before any of them could correct her, she slipped away with her basket in tow.

"Would you like to go this evening, husband?" Hermione slid closer to him with a smug smile on her face.

"Give me that," he held out his hand and swiped it from hers, then hit her over the head with it.

"How rude, sir," she retrieved the map with a chuckle. "Well, I guess we're staying here until tomorrow."

"We don't know that girl," he shook his head to dismiss the idea, but she flashed him that man-bending look again. "Fine."

"Let's drive the cart through the back entrance, according to the map there's a secluded inn there that will keep us away from the inner city noise," she rolled up the map and slipped it into her bag. "Ready?"

He nodded his head. They started off on the journey around the city walls to the more calm entrance. Severus kept glancing her way, wondering what had made her so happy. _One moment she's furious with me, then the next she's grinning and saying I'm her husband…_

 _I should see a physician about this damn chest pain._

"Do you ever wonder…" she trailed off with a sad look on her face.

"I wonder a lot of things, Granger."

She stifled a laugh. "Do you ever wonder how they reacted to our deaths?"

 _What sort of question is that?_ He narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. "I've never wondered about that."

"I have," she said. "What if the next time I see them they're old and grey?"

"That day will be a great day," he smirked to himself and she hit his arm. "Hermione, stop worrying about it. If you let your mind travel down that dark tunnel, you'll end up upsetting yourself more."

"You're right," her hand lingered on his arm. "I suppose seeing them all old and grey will be entertaining."

He could tell another painful thought had appeared in her mind because she stared off into the distance. "What is it now?"

Her cheeks reddened. "I...you see...Ronald and I kissed during the battle," she avoided his piercing eyes. "While we were camping in the woods, I came to the conclusion that he would be it for me. Plain and simple, just the way I like it. However, now I feel as if all of those thoughts were fuelled by the adrenaline and panic of being Harry's friend."

"Hermione Weasley doesn't sound right," she laughed loudly at his reply. It's the truth; anything would sound better than having Weasley attached to one's name.

"I suppose you're right, Severus," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "My life is here now, so I can't keep pondering on my past life."

He couldn't agree with her more. _I'm happy the way things are now, surprisingly._ Hermione has long been his comfort blanket here, and he has a feeling they will be by one another's side for a long time. He felt some form of glee when he thought about Potter turning up to find out his best friend liked to travel with the dungeon bat.

"Oh, you've got something on your face," she reached over and brushed her finger along his cheekbone. There was a moment of pause, her touch lingered on his skin and he cast her a painful look.

"Stop mothering me," he broke the tension and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm your wife remember? I have to take care of my dear husband," she playfully patted his chest then jumped away from the growl that vibrated beneath his shirt.

"You should head back to Dosrose Village and get hitched with Frederick; he'll be a much more suitable gentleman for you," he led the horse down the empty alley.

"When did I ever say I was looking for a gentleman?" she had the audacity to wink at him. His cheeks flooded with colour and she chuckled all the way to the inn.

They bought two rooms to stay in, and their accommodations were opposite one another. Severus busied himself unpacking, then he headed downstairs to put the horse in the stables attached to the inn/pub.

When he walked back inside, he spotted Hermione talking to the owner who was busy pouring her a drink. He slipped behind a wooden post and watched her carefully.

He hated to admit it, but she was beautiful in every sense of the word. He could hardly comprehend why she continued to stay with him day in and day out; she must have an ulterior motive, that's the only reasonable explanation.

The owner was rather old so it wasn't like he could accuse her of flirting with him — _I'm old...yet she doesn't mind people thinking we're married._ All of his worries could be solved if he just talked to her about it, but he wasn't sure how he truly felt.

 _I suppose I like having her around._ He didn't want to mix up friendship with infatuation, everyone knows how badly that went wrong for him the previous time.

Hermione caught his eye and a huge smile grew on her face. "Is everything OK, Severus?" she waved him over and he exited the shadows.

"Everything's perfectly well."

She didn't seem to believe his murmured response, but chose not to push for answers."Thank you for the drink," Hermione smiled goodbye to the man and they headed back upstairs.

…

The sound of music called to them from the Inn. Severus found himself glaring at Hermione as she pulled him out his bedroom. Her white dress and knitted cardigan hugged her body, causing his eyes to linger for longer than necessary.

"I haven't finished getting ready yet!" he tried to finish doing the buttons of his shirt, and she whirled around to face him. Before he could react, she finished off the job and smiled at him.

"We don't want to be late!" she exclaimed and linked her arm with his.

"That young girl doesn't even know us, I doubt we'll be missed," he said.

They made their way out of the building and walked down the narrow alleys towards the large square. Everywhere was covered in lanterns and cloth banners, a melody played from the fountain in the middle, and everyone seemed to be dancing with joy on their faces.

Hermione turned to look at him with a shy smile, and he soon realised what she wanted to ask him. "I am not dancing with you, Granger," he pulled away from her touch and headed off to the farthest table.

"Please?" she chased after him and took the seat opposite.

He pinned her with a look. "No."

"Why?" she whined like a child.

"Because I don't enjoy it."

"For me?"

"What makes you think that dancing with you would make it more enjoyable?" she crossed her arms and scowled at him. "There are many willing partners out there for you to dance with."

"You're such a killjoy," she muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, my dear husband," she flashed him her signature smile then walked off to the drinks stand.

Severus watched her go through his black strands. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about her that he liked. He knew when she took immediate offence to the things — like his comment last night — which meant he didn't have to dig up his previous actions to ponder whether that had upset her. _That's a good quality in anyone_ , he mused, however, _it seems it's the littlest of things that hurt her the most._

A part of him wanted to dance with her, but the other half was uncertain of how he would react. What if they danced and the feeling inside his chest grew? The last thing he wants is to make things awkward between them.

The young girl who gave them the invitation approached Hermione. He observed their interaction and smiled to himself at Hermione's glowing reaction. They talked for a while, then the girl placed a flower in Hermione's wavy hair and ran off to join her friends.

A short while after, an unfamiliar man approached her asking if she'd like to dance. He glared at him with fiery eyes as he spun Hermione around by the fountain. His fingers tapped on the wooden table until he gave up with a deep grumble.

Severus swiftly stepped between the pair and ushered the man away with a limp hand. "My turn."

Hermione tilted her head. "I thought you said-" he didn't allow her a chance to respond, he quickly grabbed her waist and hand, then started a slow dance that fit the new melody.

She relaxed against his body, resting her head near his shoulder. His distaste for dancing hadn't changed, but there was something deeply personal about being this close to her. He hated that his heart started to beat just that little bit faster.

"If someone told me a few months ago that I'd be dancing with Professor Snape, I would believe that they were insane," she removed her head from his chest and glanced up at him.

"You wound me," he muttered sarcastically.

She chuckled. "I never said that I feel that way now."

Her eyes sparkled with something he didn't understand. He wished to look away from her, but he found himself enchanted by the peaceful look on her face. _She's happy being in my arms._

"You're a rather good dancer," she said. "I'm surprised."

"I've danced before, Granger, I've done many other things which I don't necessarily do now," for some reason she blushed.

"I suppose so," her hand gripped his shoulder a bit more just as her eyes lowered to his exposed neck. She moved her hand up to the side that held his scar, and slowly brushed her fingers against it.

A look of pure wonderment settled on her soft features, and as their eyes locked, they were pulled into mesmerisation of one another. Her chin moved forward a little, and for a moment he thought she was going to kiss him. Something flashed over her eyes and she broke away from the trance that had consumed them.

She swallowed hard. "No one else is dancing."

He blinked a few times, then glanced around to see everyone was moving over to the large banquet. "Oh," he said breathlessly.

Her hand slid over his chest as she stepped away from him. "Are you hungry?" he responded with a quick nod, and they filled up their plates, both of them wondering what had just transpired between them.

* * *

 _ **AN:/ Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know your thoughts! As you can see, the tension is starting to build between the pair.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_~ Chapter 3 ~_**

The next day, Severus found himself watching Hermione closely whenever she moved. A familiar tightness laced around his heart once more, and annoyance soon followed. _I don't have any right to feel this way._

She finished putting the final bag on the cart, and he turned away from her as she climbed up into the seat next to him. He seemed to have now become the designated driver; it didn't bother him too much since Hermione was happy navigating them through the narrow roads.

"Ready?" he muttered and she gave him a lingering look when he didn't look her way.

"Yes," she whispered. "The road ahead doesn't have any intersections for a few miles, so we can go at a steady pace."

"Very well," he got the horse moving and they joined a few other travellers following the long road.

They moved in silence for a while and Hermione mapped out their route for the rest of the day. She kept biting her lip as she pondered on her thoughts, which caused Severus to grumble under his breath.

"Can I ask you something personal?" she said as the sun moved closer to midday.

"No."

She sighed in response. "Please?"

 _Don't look at her. Just don't look at her and you won't crack._ To no avail, he glanced her way and saw the innocent look plaguing her face. "Fine."

"Are you interested in finding someone to be with?"

His head flew towards her and she bit back her giggle from the shocked expression on his face. "Why are you asking such a question?!"

She waved her hands frantically. "Eyes on the road!"

"It's a straight trail woman!"

"Stop avoiding my question."

 _What sort of question is that? Has she met someone she wants to be with? No, of course not, she's been with me this whole time!_ He stared ahead with a passive look on his face.

"The thought has never occurred to me," he lied.

"Oh," she sighed. "If you ever want to find somebody, please tell me, so I don't hold you back."

He glanced her way briefly and saw the sadness on her face. _What did I say wrong?_

"I can assure you that I won't be attracting anyone's attention," she inhaled sharply at his answer. "What?"

"Don't say things like that about yourself."

 _Why does that upset her?_ She shook her head at something then carried on studying the map. The personal moment passed and they carried on along the road.

They didn't converse for a while. Severus was very aware that something had passed between them both, but he didn't want to bring it up again. _I'm sure everything's fine._

His mind kept wondering about the dance they'd shared last night. _I can't believe I thought she was going to kiss me. How foolish._ He looked her way again to see she was staring up at the sky.

Her hand tapped his arm and he noticed the hideous bird above them. The poor excuse of a hawk squawked over their heads and flew off into the clouds.

"That's one ugly bird."

"Don't be mean!" she hit his arm to emphasise her point.

"It's a bloody bird; it doesn't have any feelings that can be offended, nor ears that understand us," he glared at her playfully, and she responded with a tut.

"I didn't know you were a bird expert," she said sarcastically. "I guess you do learn new things every day."

He could tell by their pointless conversation that she was bored out of her mind. _There's only so many things we can talk about without getting repetitive._

"Insufferable," he muttered, and she beamed with happiness. "It's not a compliment."

"But I love it when you call me that-" she clamped her mouth shut then turned away from him to stare at the passing scenery.

 _Love?_ His mind raced through thousands of thoughts, all of them meaningless and over-analysing the single word. They carried on in silence and eventually reached the crossroads. She kept her eyes on the map and hummed a soft tune to herself.

A rustling sound came from behind them, and they both turned slowly to stare at the moving bag in the cart. A high pitched bark sounded underneath the fabric, then a fluffy black head wiggled its way out of the bag filled with books.

Hermione screeched by his ear causing him to jump. The cart came to an abrupt halt just as she scrambled into the back towards the bag. Severus rubbed his throbbing ear and glared at the back of her head.

She fawned over the fluffy thing, then turned to beam at him with an awe-stricken look on her face. "Severus, it's adorable!"

He paused for a moment. _When she looks at me like that —_

"It's ugly," he settled on saying, and she covered its ears with a gasp.

"Don't be such a meanie!"

 _Meanie? How childish of her, I am not —_

Once again, since arriving here in Heaven, he found himself cringing at his inner monologue. _She brings out the child in me._

"Can we keep him?" the man-bending smile grew on her face, and he turned away with a roll of his eyes. "Thank you!"

"Are you sure its a boy?"

She held the puppy in front of her then smirked. "Positive."

She climbed back into the front, and the next thing he knew, a soft pair of lips pressed against his cheek. He stopped breathing for a few seconds, then eventually turned to stare at her in shock. She was mothering the puppy in her lap, not even acknowledging what she'd just done or how she'd made him react.

A warmth flooded his cheeks and he took a few moments to gather his composure. _What…?_ He shook his empty mind and got the horse moving again.

…

"Get it to stop!" Severus yelled in the middle of the clothes shop.

"Come on, Bruce, leave Severus alone," Hermione clicked her fingers at the young pup who nibbled on his trouser leg.

They'd stumbled across the busy city after a long morning of travelling. He wanted to carry on for the rest of the day, but Hermione suggested finding an inn to stay in would be better. She said that she knew how much he hated camping.

"You're calling him Bruce? That's a middle aged man's name."

"You would know," she walked off with a chuckle, and Severus narrowed his eyes at her.

They carried on their stroll around the large shop, and Severus found himself more inclined to shop for clothes that he could wear. _I'm not sure what would suit me the best, perhaps I should ask Hermione—_

He turned around to find she was no longer behind him. His eyes caught onto her curly hair as she ran out of the shop in a hurry.

"Hermione!" he tried to catch up with her, but the moment he stepped outside she disappeared into the crowd with the puppy in her arms. He could hear the distant shouts of "wait!", but he couldn't spot the person she was chasing.

He came to a stop gasping for oxygen. "That bloody, insufferable woman!"

A few people gave him odd looks as he leant against the wall to gain control of his breathing again. _Who was she chasing after? Who would she know that would make her run like that?_

He couldn't help but think that she might have seen Lily. His back straightened and an uncomfortable pressure laced around his heart. Something inside of him didn't want that to be the truth.

It would ruin the 'thing' that has been forming between them for the past few months. He pushed himself away from the wall and carried on in the direction she'd ran in.

The fluttering of wings caught his attention and a familiar black hawk landed on a nearby stall. Severus stared at the ugly bird through narrowed eyes. _Is it the same bird?_ It watched him through hollow eyes and Severus sensed something evil coming from it.

The teller of the stall shooed it away with a rag, and Severus followed it as it took off into the sky and into the clouds.

He shook the ominous feeling from his shoulders and walked off to find Hermione. _I'd say she's going to be the death of me, but that doesn't apply to where I am now. She's the bane of my very existence._

A few of the stall owners tried to grab his attention, but he kept his eyes moving around for her familiar head of hair. _Where the bloody hell has she got to?_ He carried on grumbling to himself about how insufferable she was, until he heard a bark coming from nearby.

He knew it could be another dog, however, he followed the noise down a nearby alley which led out into a small square. There were four doors that led to houses, and little balconies overlooked the moss covered floor.

Hermione had her back to him, and for once, his attention wasn't focused on only her. A familiar head of black hair caught his eyes and the air left his lungs.

Eileen Prince looked his way with a gasp. Hermione whirled around to stare at him and they all stood their in silence.

"I...I didn't mean to run off," Hermione said. "I saw the likeness through the window of the shop and couldn't help myself."

Severus' eyes softened. "That's understandable."

"Severus," Eileen's bottom lip quivered. "I had no idea you were here…" she pondered on a thought, then quickly raced over to hug him.

He'd long forgotten what it felt like to be in his mother's arms. For a moment he felt shame for having an audience to this personal moment. However, he knew that Hermione wouldn't judge him for wrapping his mother up in his arms, and burying his face into her neck.

They stayed that way for a long time, until the idiotic puppy started barking repeatedly. "Would you shut that scoundrel up!"

Hermione gasped. "Don't be so cruel! He's a puppy and doesn't know any better," she kissed his head and scratched his back. Eileen pulled away to wipe away her tears and watched the pair curiously.

"Well, teach it to shut up."

"Coming from the man who couldn't teach his students to shut up," she raised her brow and he scoffed in response. His next remark was stopped by the look on his mother's face. "I apologise, Miss Prince, my name is Hermione."

"Call me Eileen, my dear," she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "I'm glad to see you've settled down Severus; I must say she's quite young, nevertheless, you seem like a suited pair."

Severus stared at her in shock and Hermione blushed a bright red shade.

"Oh," Eileen gasped. "I-I got it wrong…I'm terribly sorry!"

 _Yes, she's got it terribly wrong_. Severus gave Hermione a funny look, then pushed the awkward situation to the back of his mind. He needed to focus on the fact that he'd found his mother — well, Hermione had.

"Would you like to come inside?" she gestured towards a wooden door, and they nodded their heads and followed her inside.

They walked up some stairs which led to another door and into his mother's small flat. The interior fit with the old-fashioned theme everywhere else, but the thing that shocked him the most, was a man's tie resting on the back of the sofa.

He walked over and picked it up, then turned to look at his mother. She was scratching the puppy's head while Hermione cooed over it. He felt angry at the thought of another man being in her life; the last one was enough to put him off ever seeing her with someone ever again.

Eileen glanced his way with a smile; it disappeared from her face soon after when she saw the anger on his face. "Severus?" she walked towards him and took the tie from his hand. "This belongs to my partner."

"Partner?" Severus saw Hermione shrink back against the wall, somehow sensing the extreme shift of emotion.

"He's a nice man," she said. "He comes from America, and we've been together for five years now. I'm happy, and he treats me well, Severus. I promise."

The anger didn't leave his face, and his mother glanced back at Hermione with pleading eyes. Hermione put down the dog and appeared at his side.

Her hand rested on his arm. "Let's go outside for a bit," she gave him a firm push, and he was led from the house with Hermione holding his hand.

They went through the private square and into the alleyway. She let go of his hand and stepped away to give him some space. _I don't need space…I need...something._

"Harry told me about your father," she whispered. "I can't begin to imagine-"

"I don't need your sympathy!" he spat.

"Tough luck!" she yelled back. "How can you expect people not to feel sympathetic? He abused you-"

He approached her with a scowl. "Don't even finish that sentence."

She sighed and angled her head back to look into his burning gaze. "I feel sympathy because I know who you are now. The main reason for people feeling such an emotion is because they wish it never happened. You deserved better, and I'm angry that you had to live through that, alone."

"Where have you got this idea that you know me?" his words were meant to deliver a punch, but she simply smirked at him.

"Nice try," she placed her hand on his arm. "Stop trying to push me away. I'm not going anywhere."

He grabbed her wrist to push her hand away, but he stopped when a blush flooded onto her cheeks. They stayed that way for a while, until Hermione shook her head and put some distance between them.

"Are you ready to head back inside?"

They went back into his mother's flat to find she'd made them all some tea. She invited them to sit around the table where Severus and his mother caught up on all the things they'd missed. Eileen asked about the cause of his death, and he'd brushed her off and said he would tell her another time.

She also asked Hermione the same question; she choked on her tea and avoided eye contact with Severus for a while. _We've never talked about it again_. He didn't want to reopen that wound, yet a part of him wanted to ask questions.

 _She died because of me._

Around ten minutes later, a knock sounded against the front door. "That will be Michael," she placed her hand on his arm. "He's a lovely man."

Severus nodded his head and watched his mother open the door. She was embraced in strong arms immediately, then the blond haired man kissed her on the lips.

"I missed you terribly," he tried to kiss her again, but she sheepishly looked over at the table and he followed her eyes. "Oh! Well...this is a bit awkward...anywho, how do you do!" he raced over to them and shook both of their hands eagerly.

"Michael, this is my son, Severus."

"Hello!" The enthusiastic man tried to hug him, but it only resulted in an awkward tangle of limbs and a hysterical laugh from Hermione.

 _What is wrong with this man?!_ He glared furiously at Hermione as he sat back down and focused on his tea. She continued to giggle to herself and he reached beneath the table to pinch her leg.

Her leg slammed against the table. "OW!"

"Are you OK?" Eileen asked.

"Perfectly well," Hermione flushed with embarrassment and looked around the room to distract herself.

Severus took in the man's colourful appearance and couldn't help but wonder what his mother saw in him. However, the sight of the smile on Eileen's face made him change his critical thinking. _I'm happy that she's happy._

Hermione got to her feet with a smile. "Michael, how about we go for a nice stroll while these two catch up."

The chirpy man was thrilled by the suggestion. "That would be lovely…?"

"Hermione," she took the arm offered to her, and Severus watched them leave with a soft look on his face. _I hate when she's too thoughtful._

Eileen took a seat and poured herself some tea. "I'm sorry that you died, Severus, but I'm glad that I get to see you again."

He reached out and took her hand in his. There were many things he wished to say to her, yet none of it seemed to matter right now. _I'm happy that I get to see her again._ None of his mother's beauty was passed onto him; his features beamed Tobias Snape through and through.

He shook the thoughts from his head. "Where have you been? I checked at some of the Seeking Souls for you."

 _It still sounds like a damn dating agency_.

"Michael and I have just returned from an expedition," she explained. "A group of us got together and went in search of an undiscovered location. The island was full of large bunnies; Michael enjoyed it a lot more than me," she chuckled as she recalled the memory.

"That sounds...awful," Eileen laughed some more, then beamed at him.

"I assumed he'd been travelling alone after that greeting?"

"Oh," Eileen blushed. "No, he just spent the morning catching up with his friends."

Severus almost threw up in his mouth. _What a romantic_ , he thought sarcastically.

"So, tell me about this Hermione of yours."

 _Of mine?_

"There's nothing to tell."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" Heat flooded his cheeks. _Merlin damnit!_ "Tell me."

"There's nothing going on between—" she tilted her head to the side. "I don't know."

"Just as I thought," she tapped his hand. "There's nothing that a little alcohol can't help with."

* * *

 **AN:/ Hi! Sorry for the long wait, everything seems to be back on track now! So, Eileen is back in the picture, what do you think? Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter, and I'll get my typing fingers ready to form the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**~ Chapter 4 ~**_

Severus stared wide-eyed at the foreign bottles of alcohol before him. His mother's flat was filled with strangers that she seemed to know, most of them her travel partners and neighbours.

He glanced around the room and saw Hermione socialising with new faces, but he'd catch her eyes wandering his way now-and-then. He took a slow sip of wine.

Hermione ventured over to the table to fill up her glass, and he could tell by her flushed cheeks that she was inebriated. She walked over to his side and leant against the kitchen counter.

"Fancy seeing you here," she giggled and he smirked down at her red face.

"It's my mother's home," he replied sarcastically.

"Any ladies catch your eye?" A few of the women in the room looked to be his age, but there was no way to tell if they were centuries older than him.

He took in a staggered breath. "Just the one," he muttered.

"Who?" Her voice deepened, and she didn't hide the anger in her eyes.

"Now that would be telling," he walked over to the table to fill up his glass and she followed behind him.

"Tell me!" She exclaimed aggressively.

"I'm not sure I like you drunk," he turned around to smirk at her. "It's too easy to rile you up."

"You said you'd tell me if you met someone."

"Yes, I've seen a woman I like in this room. Having never spoken to her before we've already decided to get married and travel the world together," he went to return to the kitchen counter, but Hermione staggered and tripped over her own feet. Severus caught her and held her against his front.

His body reacted instantly.

Severus tried to push her away so she wouldn't notice, but she gripped onto his arms to stable herself. She didn't seem to notice the hardness stirring beneath his trousers. However, his luck soon ran out.

She stared up at him with wide eyes. "Oh."

He tried to push away from her, but she pressed her core against his hardness. He staggered backwards against the counter, pushing their bodies closer together. She started to move her hips and Severus took in a sharp breath.

Every part of his body screamed to push her away; it was wrong to even enjoy this while she was in such a drunken state, but one look at the lustful expression on her face made him question everything. _Does she feel it too?_ His body ached for her, and not just now, it always ached for her.

She reached up a shaking hand and pushed his lank hair from his face. Ever so slowly, her lips moved towards his. Her breath fanned across his mouth and his heart pounded against his chest. He felt young again — not that this had ever happened to him when he was young.

Her thumb brushed against his cheek bone and he heard her take in a shaky breath. Her lips were about to touch his when she suddenly stumbled backwards. He stared at her in shock, but her hand flew to her mouth and she took off towards the bathroom. His heart dropped at the sound of her being sick.

 _Am I that repulsive?_ The logical side of him knew that it had been an unfortunate coincidence, but the degrading side came out to remind him how disgusting he was.

Michael came racing from the crowd and headed towards the bathroom to see if she was OK. Eileen trailed behind him and glanced at Severus with a smitten look on her face.

"I owe Michael two gold coins," she said.

"Excuse me?"

"I bet him that she'd kiss you, but he pointed out that the poor girl had gone a funny green colour," she headed inside the bathroom laughing, and Severus appeared in the doorway.

Hermione giggled over the toilet bowl and Michael stroked her hair while Eileen mothered her. "I think you should get some sleep, love," Michael said.

They'd been invited to stay in his mother's flat for a few days before they carried on towards Sunny Valley. Hermione had been alight with excitement at the prospect of staying with his mother, and it reminded him of her need to please everyone. _I don't know why she'd worry about my mother; she clearly adores the girl, and so does her partner._

 _Well, tomorrow morning will be incredibly awkward._

…

Of course he was right. When was he ever wrong?

Severus stirred his spoon around the teacup and eyed a hungover Hermione through his strands of hair. She'd been given the necessary potions to ease her headache, but nothing would help get rid of the heavy weight on her shoulders. He kept catching her eyes wandering his way and she would look away with a blush and pet Bruce.

 _I'm a terrible man; I should've put distance between us when we arrived here._ His mind could run away with the what-ifs, but his heart clearly disagreed. He stared at her again from the kitchen table, and she nuzzled her face into the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

Laughter came from his mother's room, and the door soon opened to reveal the loving couple close together, enjoying an unknown entertainment. His mother blushed when she saw him, and his lip curled in disgust. He was OK with her being happy, but he didn't want to witness or hear any of their night time, or early morning, explorations together.

"Hermione, dear, how are you feeling this morning?" Michael placed his hand on her shoulder and she smiled up at him.

"I'm feeling a lot better now."

"Good," he sat down in the armchair. "What would everyone like to do today?"

"I know!" Eileen exclaimed. "Hermione, you mentioned that you have plans to go to Sunny Valley next. There's a travel agency in the middle of town, and I see posters for it all the time. They can tell you everything that goes on there."

"I'd like that," the way she looked at his mum made his heart skip a bit. He'd never known anyone look at her in such a way — _I think she loves my mother._

It made sense. The poor girl would never see her mother and father again, and being cared for by Eileen and Michael probably reminded her of being back home. Hermione got to her feet and walked over to Eileen. She poured herself some tea, and when Severus caught her eyes, she looked away sheepishly.

 _We'll have to talk about it eventually. There's no avoiding having a raging hard-on while someone grinds against you._ He shook the thought from his head. _Or the almost kiss_ , he growled in frustration.

"Everything OK, Severus?" Eileen asked.

"Fine." He grumbled and took a sip of his tea.

The morning passed by with an awkward tension in the air. Hermione still hadn't uttered a word to him, and he wondered if she expected him to approach her first. It was a silly drunken mistake; it wasn't like they'd actually kissed one another, and he dreaded to think of the outcome of that. _She'd regret doing such a thing._

After they had lunch, Eileen herded them all out into the village to do some shopping together. Hermione stayed by his mother's side without a second glance his way. _Fine, if she wishes to be that way, I won't bother talking to her._ They arrived at the window of the travel agency, and there was a massive display advertising Sunny Valley. Severus no longer wished to go.

There were moving pictures of people dancing and singing together. He could see women putting flowers in the childrens hair. Food stands were lined with freshly baked bread and pastries; it screamed pureness and innocence, a place where Hermione would find solitude. Him, not so much.

His mother and Michael headed inside laughing, but Hermione stopped on the steps leading up to the door and Bruce circled her ankles. She marched to his side and stared at the window display with him. He could practically hear the gears turning in her mind.

"About last night," she sighed. "I'm really sorry, Severus, I never meant to act so frivolous."

 _Frivolous? Is that all she cares about? What about the hardness that got between us, and an almost kiss? I'm sure she'd be mortified if she ever kissed her potions professor._

He felt her eyes on his face, so he glanced down at her. "Severus, I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising for something so ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?"

Hurt flooded her face, but he still nodded his head. "All you did was stumble into me, Granger, nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh," she flinched away from him and headed inside. He returned his gaze to the display, only to see his mother shaking her head at him. _I shouldn't have said that_. He was yet to know what these strange feelings were that she caused inside of him, and the idea of her regretting anything beyond a friendship right now scared him. _I value our friendship._

A squawk sounded over his head and Severus looked up in time to see a familiar disgruntled hawk land on a nearby rooftop. His brow furrowed in confusion and he stepped closer to the other building. Its black eyes delved deep into his soul, and dark emotions long forgotten these past few months resurfaced. Tremors rocked his body to the core and the hairs covering his body stood up straight.

The panic bubbled to the surface, and Severus felt the overwhelming urge to run back inside and protect Hermione. So he did. He ran as quick as he legs could carry him, and he charged into the travel agency almost knocking Hermione off her feet. He laced his arm around her waist and held her tightly to his chest.

"Severus!" She squeaked into his clad shoulder. His wave of panic fled quickly, and embarrassment replaced it. She managed to look up at him with worry on her face. "What happened?"

His cheeks turned pink. "Nothing!" He snapped, then disappeared further into the shop. He heard his mother muttered something about 'men'.

After they scoured the marketplace for trinkets, his mother and Michael left them alone to get some dinner together and took Bruce with them. They sat outside a little bakery and Severus focused on stirring his cup of tea and buttering his croissant. He could feel her curious eyes on him and he did his best to ignore her.

 _I have no idea what happened to me. That hawk is too suspicious to be a coincidence._

"Are we going to talk about it?" She asked suddenly.

"Which thing?" He retorted with a snarl.

She growled back at him and he stared at her in shock. "Why don't you pick? Shall we discuss your reaction to my body against yours? The almost kiss? Or, how about we find out why you ran into the travel agency beating on your chest like an ape, acting like I'm your property?"

"I don't want to discuss-"

"Am I that repulsive?"

Severus' shock furtherened. "No!" He responded instinctively.

 _Of course she bloody isn't, does the girl not own a mirror?_

"Are you ashamed of how you responded?"

"I'm not talking about this."

"Why not? Severus, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so I'm afraid we need to discuss this so we can carry on like normal."

"You won't be with me forever."

She gasped. "Don't say mean things because you don't know how to tell me how you feel!"

"It's the truth," he took a sip of his tea, and she reached over and snatched it from his hand, then pulled him from his chair by his wrist. He protested as she led him away from the main strip of shops and stalls. They came to a stop in a nearby alleyway and she tossed his arm from her grip.

"Do you want me to leave?" She spoke through gritted teeth.

Something tightened around Severus' heart at the serious look on her face. _Man up_ , an inner voice said, _man up, otherwise she'll leave you_. His face didn't portray his panicked heart, and this seemed to hurt her more.

"Fine," she turned to leave but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "What?"

"I...don't want you to leave," he chose not to speak the 'me' that belonged at the end of the sentence. He didn't want to sound needy.

"But, it sure seems like you do."

"Hermione, I don't want you to leave," he said. "What happened last night...I don't know how to react-"

She stepped closer to him and tilted her up to look into his eyes. "Do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"In a good or bad way?"

"I have no idea," he replied breathlessly.

"Oh," she took a large step backwards and flashed him a pathetic smile.

A chorus of claps came from nearby as somebody started to sing. They walked out of the alleyway and saw a small celebration taking place by the bakery. A man circled around taking pictures of the girl singing to the crowd, and everyone else started to dance to the melody playing from the charmed harp.

The awkward atmosphere faded when Hermione turned to smile at him, and he knew exactly what she wanted to ask him. "No, I'm not dancing-" there was no point in even trying anymore. She grabbed his hand and led him over to the dancing crowd. She placed her hand on his shoulders and he instinctively grabbed her hand. They danced to the celtic song and Severus found himself happy that a genuine smile rested on her face.

She beamed up at him with her large brown eyes, and he responded with a twitch of his lips. "You should consider dancing as a profession."

"You're hilarious, Miss Granger," he said dryly.

"Thank you for the compliment, Professor Snape."

Her hand slid up his arm and she started to fiddle with the collar of his shirt. It reminded him of the last time they danced together. Somehow she'd managed to enchant him once more. His body reacted to her gentle touch. Once again, he thought it had gone unnoticed, but a blush flooded onto her cheeks and she gazed up at him with sated eyes.

Severus could hear the wind running through his empty mind. What was he supposed to say now? She could clearly feel it, and expected him to do something in response. Her eyes wandered to his lips. _She can't possibly want to kiss me?_ He'd degraded himself enough to know that the opposite sex found him undesirable, especially to someone like her.

"Severus?" he followed the movement of her lips. "Can I kiss you?"

"What?" he blurted out, and she smiled in response. _Why's she asking for my permission? To be polite? All I ever think about it how she would react if I kissed her!_

Hermione's hand found his cheek and she slowly pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes. Her lips moved closer to his as he held his breath. The only thing he could think about was her immediate disappointment. However, his grip tightened on her waist and she finally closed the distance between them.

Her lips were soft and tentative against his at first, then she suddenly melted into his body. Severus' body loosened as her hand left his cheek and he buried his hand in her hair. A quiet hum came from the back of her throat which made it easy for him to slip his tongue into her mouth.

It was better than he could ever have imagined. She gripped on tight to his clad chest and moved her hips against his hard cock. An immense heat flooded his body, and all he could think about was getting somewhere more private to really show her how she made him feel.

Hermione moved her parted lips away and stared up at him. A smile grew on her face and a smitten look appeared on his own. So many questions rushed through his mind, but none of them mattered when she smiled at him like that. All of his unanswered questions were answered by a simple look.

"Severus — Oh!" she buried her face into his chest and he looked over his shoulder in confusion, only to find his mother, Michael and the damn puppy grinning at them.

A deep chuckle rumbled his chest. "It's not funny," she muttered and glanced up at him with a red face.

"I do believe you were the one who wanted to kiss me, Miss Granger."

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it."

He raised a brow. "I have no idea what you mean."

Hermione rolled her eyes just as Eileen appeared behind them holding the puppy. "It seems you two have been having fun."

"It's been tolerable," Severus said.

She hit his arm gently and started to talk to Hermione about Bruce. The puppy was content being in his mother's arms, and Severus found some joy that the dog liked his mum more than Hermione. _Perhaps we can ditch it on her when we leave?_

"Drinks for us all!" Michael's heavy American accent ruined Severus' mood as he appeared with a floating tray by his side. Hermione passed him a goblet of wine with a small smile.

There was no doubt in his mind that they'd be having a serious conversation when they got back. He wanted to say that he was fine with it, but in reality, his body trembled nervously at exposing his feelings to her.

* * *

 **AN:/ A lovely bit of progression here! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I'm happy you're all enjoying it so much! Let me know what you think of this one!**


	8. Chapter 8

**_~ Chapter 5 ~_**

"Keep him," Severus could see the sadness on Hermione's face as she offered Bruce to his mother. Tears welled up in Eileen's eyes and she pulled Hermione into her arms. _It's just a damn puppy_. "He likes you more than me."

Severus rolled his eyes and started to move their bags down to the cart in the alleyway. They'd stayed at his mum's home for a week, which meant they were behind schedule, but that didn't matter according to Hermione. She was just happy that he got to see his mother again. _The selfless Gryffindor...always putting others first over herself._

To say things have been awkward between them would be an understatement. He hadn't had the chance to expose his soul to her and she seemed to be avoiding being alone with him. _She regrets kissing me, and I don't blame her._ His technique was lacking; he'd never kissed somebody that meant something to him. _I still don't know what she means to me._

Somebody cleared their throat, and Severus turned to look at Michael. "Can I talk to you?"

Severus nodded his head. _This can't be good._

"Your mother and me have been together for many years, and I love her very much," Severus inwardly cringed. He knew what was coming next. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"I'm not her father, you don't have to ask me for my permission," he grumbled back.

"But, you're the only family she has left. She tried to seek out the rest of her family, only to be met with a slammed door or bad news that they had arrived at the black gates instead of golden," he explained. "You're the only one she's spoke highly of, and she regrets what happened during your childhood-"

"I've had this talk with her," Severus rolled up his sleeves. "You make her happy, so marry her."

Michael smiled. "We're due on another expedition in a weeks time, and I have plans to ask her then. You'll come to the wedding?"

 _I guess Hermione and me should get out apparition licenses_. "We'll be there," he said without thinking, and Michael's smile furthered.

"Shouldn't you ask Hermione first?" he headed towards the door laughing just as Hermione and his mother stepped out. "I'm so sad to see you go!" he pulled Hermione into his arms. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

Hermione blushed. "I enjoyed meeting you too."

His mother walked over with the puppy by her feet. "My boy," she kissed his cheek and he wrapped his arms around her. "You'll keep in touch?"

"Of course," he whispered.

"Hold out your wand," she turned to look back at Hermione. "And you."

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, taking out her colourful wand.

"I'm going to connect our wands so we can easily find one anothers locations. It makes it easier for the owls to seek us out, they don't do well here without a destination in mind," she explained. "Touch your wands with mine," they did as she said. " _Iungo._ "

Severus watched as silver magic wrapped around their wands, then disperse up their arms. "All done!" Eileen pocketed her wand. "I wish you well on your travels," she quickly hugged Hermione, and gave Severus a lingering one. "Now, hurry up! You need to get an early start to make it to the nearest town!"

He could tell that his mum was struggling to say goodbye, and as he took his seat in the cart, Michael wrapped his arms around her. She sunk back into his embrace and closed her eyes when he kissed her head. Hermione made sure to wave goodbye until they were out of sight, and when they passed through the gates out onto the open road, they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

It was clear as day that she regretted kissing him, and he hated that something painful clawed at his heart at the prospect. She meant a lot more to him than he was willing to admit. _We hardly know one another._ Even though that was true, their circumstances were rather unusual to begin with. Of course feelings would develop, and once again, it seemed to be just him developing such feelings.

Severus glanced her way and saw the heavy bags under her eyes. _She hasn't been sleeping properly, obviously she's fretting over what happened between us._

They journeyed for a long two hours and Hermione soon gave into the tiredness consuming her, and Severus' chest tightened when her head landed on his shoulder. _I'm obviously not that repulsive if she wishes to use me as a human pillow._

However, Severus' chest tightened even more when a whimper escaped her lips. He pulled the reins and they came to a stop on the woodland trail.

"Hermione," he whispered.

"No…" tears pooled beneath her eyes, and she started to convulse like she meant to be running. He lowered her down so she lay across the seat and crouched by her side.

"Hermione," he said softly. "Wake up."

"Harry, run!" she screamed, and within moments, she awoke with a start gasping for air. She scrambled to grab him and cling onto him like a lifeline. His shaking hand patted her head as she sobbed into his chest.

A part of him wanted to push her away. They'd built up so much negative energy this week — or maybe it was just him? — that it didn't feel right to comfort her.

She pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. "Something's wrong."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I...I've been having these dreams — nightmares — oh, I'm not really sure! They're too real! Harry looks more worn, and he's still fighting the darkness. I think...no I know, that I'm seeing what's happening back in England."

"What?" he stared on, befuddled as to what she meant.

"In my dreams I'm always watching an event happen. In one of them...I saw Harry and Ron standing at my grave," she sobbed. "Then in another they were arguing with each other about whether to fix my parents memories to tell them that I was dead."

"What was this one about?" he asked.

"H-Harry...Grimmauld Place was on fire and he ran back inside to save Draco; he kept screaming his name, and once he got inside, a cloaked man stood over Draco's body. I kept screaming at him run, but I woke up before anything else happened."

He wasn't sure what to make of it. To him, the idea of an afterlife hadn't been plausible, so who was he to say that she wasn't experiencing insights into life back home.

"Draco?"

She nodded. "If I truly did have a vision, then they must've put their past to rest."

"Or, Potter's Gryffindor idiocy has only got worse."

"That's not funny," she muttered.

He ignored her previous comment. "Is this why you haven't been sleeping well?"

"Yes," she rubbed her eyes. "And...well...I'm sorry for kissing you."

 _And here it comes._

"I never meant to make you uncomfortable, Severus, I know that you're devoted to Lily but I couldn't help myself."

 _Huh?_

 _What?_

 _What the bloody hell is she going on about?!_

"Lily?" was the only word that came from his mouth.

"Yes."

"Lily?"

"Yes, Severus, you don't have to keep saying her name!"

He couldn't help it, but he laughed deeply in her face. She let out a shocked gasp and he could see that he'd offended her.

"What's so funny?!" she spat. "I know you can be childish, Severus, but I didn't know you were cruel enough to laugh in my face! I would never mock your feelings, how very dare you—"

He kissed her. Not in the tender way she had when they danced together. Their teeth crashed together and she let out a surprised squeal. His hands cupped her face and she gripped them tight.

 _What a foolish woman!_

He pulled away to take in the surprised look on her face. "What was that for?" her lips seemed more endearing when they were red from a snog.

"To shut you up," he said. "Otherwise, you'd keep on talking, making up a million more false accusations."

"What?" She replied dully.

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. "Are you forgetting that I kissed you back?"

"I know that," she blushed.

"I'm not devoted to Lily."

"Oh," a small smile graced her lips. "Is that true?"

He grunted in response, then leaned forwards to kiss her again. She sank against his chest and reached up to touch the unblemished side of his neck. He'd never enjoyed kissing before, but he could safely say that snogging Hermione Granger was better than being in Heaven.

The blissfully unaware pair didn't see the black hawk that swooped down onto a nearby branch. With a tilt of its raven head, it flew away to inform his Master of a surprisingly new development.

…

They made quick work of setting up the tent for the night, all the while moving around one another in silence. There was tension in the air, but it wasn't enough to make Severus feel awkward around her.

He glanced at her as she stood over their bubbling pot of food. Whenever they had to camp the night she was adamant that she cook for them both; he'd offered countless times, but she always managed to reason with him somehow.

She caught his eyes through her frizzy hair and a blush grew on her face. "Would you mind grabbing me the bowls?"

He walked over to the bag that contained most of the kitchen essentials and grabbed everything she would need to plate up. He took a seat at the table and thanked her with a nod when she placed the soup in front of him.

"Can I ask you something?" she sat down opposite him, and he responded with a quick nod. "That day in the travel agency, why did you panic and come running in?"

He swallowed hard. _Should I tell her?_ He couldn't help but feel like she'd call him crazy.

No, he had every faith in her that she wouldn't judge him. "I keep seeing this black hawk everywhere. That time in the village I saw it again, but it made me feel uneasy and it brought dark thoughts to my mind. I had to see that you were OK."

"Oh," she mindlessly moved her spoon in a circle.

"You don't believe me," he grunted.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Don't be daft, of course I believe you!"

"Then why do you have such an absent expression on your face?"

"I…" she bit her bottom lip. "Was it the same bird we saw a while ago after we left Ravos?"

"I believe so."

"Hmm," she mused. "How odd."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She sighed. "I...I've seen the same bird in my nightmares."

His eyes widened slightly. "Seriously?"

"Yes, I didn't think it meant anything, but now that you've seen it...I-I thought we were able to live in peace here?!"

He could see that she was starting to panic as she shot to her feet and started to pace up and down the tent. After letting her wear the ground away, he pulled her down next to him when she passed him and cupped her cheeks.

"We'll discover what's going on," he said. "Let's just see what develops over time, and if it gets too serious I know exactly where to go."

A devious smirk grew on her face. "You can just admit that you want to see Dumbledore again."

He pulled away from her. "Don't be so insufferable!"

They settled down in silence and ate their dinner. Severus kept glancing her way wanting to ask her the question that lingered over both of their heads. What were they now? Together? Fooling around? The title boyfriend was never made to be associated with his name.

"So...what did Michael want to talk to you about before we left?"

He cleared his throat. "He's going to propose to my mother; he asked for my permission as if I'm her father."

Hermione laughed. "I think it's sweet that he asked you."

"No doubt we'll be receiving an invite to their wedding."

"I wonder if the ceremony will be any different?" She pondered on the thought and he watched her closely as she bit her bottom lip.

"I guess we'll wait and see."

"I suppose so—" her spoon clattered against the table and terror washed over her face. She stared at a spot just over his shoulder and he whirled around with his wand drawn only to find no intruder was there. Suddenly, he realised she was having some sort of vision.

She screeched. "R-Ron!" Her arms flailed around and Severus caught her before she could fall from her seat. They tumbled to the floor as she continued to thrash in his arms screaming out for the Weasley fellow. "NO!"

Her screams echoed throughout the forest for a short while, then she went lax in his arms with her eyes closed. "Hermione," he shook her gently. "Wake up!"

Her eyes fluttered open and she glanced around disorientated. It took her a few moments to gather her senses then she shot up with a gasp. Her fingers curled around his shirt and she gaped up at him.

"Ron's badly injured!" She buried her face into his chest and sobbed helplessly. He stroked her hair and wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't sure whether his whispered words of comfort helped her much, but her grip didn't loosen.

His lips found their way to her forehead and she inhaled sharply. Even though he didn't know where they stood right now, it still felt right to kiss her this way, and she didn't seem to mind it either.

"Something's wrong with me," she whispered against his chest.

"There isn't anything wrong with you," he said deeply. "We'll go and find someone who can give us some answers."

"Dumbledore?"

He nodded. "Even though it pains me to say this, he'll know what's going on."

"OK," she pulled away from his chest and wiped away her tears. "Thank you for, well, erm...comforting me," she looked away from him sheepishly.

* * *

 **AN:/ Hello! In the next chapter Hermione and Severus will be bumping into two familiar faces, I bet you can guess one but how about the other? Thank you to everyone who reviewed, let me know what you think of this one!**


	9. Chapter 9

_**~ Chapter 6 ~**_

"There we go, you can now officially Apparate," Severus felt a tingle shoot through his body that soon dispersed into nothing. Hermione stood by his side with a small smile on her face, but he could tell she was still bothered by the vision she had about Weasley.

He'd never been good at comforting people let alone the woman he liked. She turned to look up at him with a sheen to her eyes. He'd once thought her man-bending smile was enough to break him, but he'd never seen her look at him in such a way before. _Yes, this is enough to make me fall to the feet of the Devil at her command._

Also, he wasn't sure how to react around her. He'd declared that he felt no all-consuming love towards Lily, and they'd kissed; it wasn't clear to him what his next move should be.

 _These visions she keeps having about 'Home' surely aren't a good sign._ It annoyed him that there was no way for him to know what was happening. He still cared about what happened to his Godson, and by the sounds of one of Hermione's visions, life wasn't working out for him. _Nor Potter_ , he thought bitterly.

It was as if he'd died for nothing, like Hermione had died trying to save him, for nothing. He glanced at her quickly as they exited the shop. _She died because of me._

"I'll go and take the horse-and-cart to the holding square," he said.

"OK," she didn't bother to look at him.

There was a place in each town and city where people could leave their horses and belongings without having to take them around with them while apparating. It was necessary for them since they'd collected many items on their travels, plus, Hermione would lose her mind if anything happened to her books.

Severus took in a deep breath and touched her arm. "Do you want to come with me?" She glanced up at him in surprise.

"Sorry," she rubbed her tired eyes. "Of course I'll come with you."

They headed down the small alleys sticking close together. Her hand grazed against his occasionally until he gave up with a sigh and took her hand in his. He spotted a small smile on her face briefly; something warm laced around his heart and his worries eased a little.

The small stable came into sight and they collected their things. Severus guided the horse-and-cart down the dirt road while Hermione petted the horse's mane.

"What?" Hermione glanced around the horse at him.

He furrowed his brow. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh," her face flushed in embarrassment. "I thought you said my name."

Severus regarded her closely. "How are you feeling this morning?"

She sighed. "I can't get the image of Ron out of my head; he was hurt badly."

"I'm sure you would be contacted if he arrived here."

"Perhaps."

Severus watched her head twitch to the left slightly, then she shook her head as if self-doubting herself. _Something's wrong._ He brought the horse to a stop and she stared at him in confusion.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Tell me what's going on," he said. "It's not just the visions, is it?"

She bit her bottom lip then shook her head. "I keep hearing someone call my name, it's been like it since this morning."

Severus walked around the horse and stood in front of her. She tilted her head back to look at him with tears in her eyes. "What's happening to me?" She whimpered and her forehead landed on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "We'll find out what's going on, I promise."

"I'm scared—"

"I'm sorry, mistress, Dobby's been a very bad elf!"

They both pulled away from one another and walked over to the embankment. It led down to a row of wooden houses, and the one closest to them had its window open. _Dobby? Potter's house-elf._ Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any house-elves since he arrived here.

"Dobby?" Hermione whispered. "Surely not...our Dobby?"

Severus helped her down the embankment and over to the window. He knew it was intrusive to stick one's head through a stranger's open window, but curiosity had taken over both of them.

Sure enough, in the middle of the kitchen stood Dobby. He looked to have been beating himself with the pan in his hand while an old woman scolded him.

"Dobby!" Hermione screeched right by his ear and he reached up to cover it.

"Miss Hermione!" Dobby dropped the pan and raced over to the window.

"Dobby," she whimpered, and before Severus could stop her, she climbed through the window much to the older woman's dismay.

Hermione fell to her knees and pulled Dobby into her arms. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"This is my house!" The grey haired woman wailed.

"I must apologise on my friends behalf," Severus cleared his throat. "Dobby is a dear friend of hers."

"Good, take the useless cretin and go," she sat down with a huff.

"You can come with us Dobby," Hermione said with a smile. "Severus and me are going to see Dumbledore."

"Really?" He beamed up at her with his large eyes.

She nodded. "Would you like to join us?"

"Of course, Miss Hermione, I need to go back to Elf Garden first — you can be Dobby's new mistress!"

"What? No, Dobby aren't you free here?" Severus glanced at the table to see the old woman had left, clearly bored with the conversation.

"We're free here, mistress, but we can choose to serve if we wish. Elf Garden is a happy place for Dobby, everyone loves Elf Garden, Miss Hermione."

"I don't wish for you to be my house-elf; I just want you to be Dobby," she smiled at him. "You can join us if you wish — oh, is that OK Severus?"

Severus glanced down at her beaming eyes. _Like I'd refuse when she looks at me like that._ "That's fine."

"See, isn't that better Dobby?"

His ears drooped around his face. "But Dobby wants to serve."

"How about you stay with us as a friend, then you can wait until Harry arrives?"

Dobby's face lit up. "Harry Potter! I must wait for Harry Potter."

"Then it's settled," she got to her feet. "We'll be taking Dobby with us—" Hermione spotted that the woman had left. "What a terrible person…come along Dobby, we have a busy day ahead of us."

Hermione managed to find the front door and Severus was there to greet her. He wasn't sure how he felt about adding someone else to their travelling party, but at least it brought a smile to Hermione's face.

"You died, Miss Hermione?"

"Yes," they walked up the embankment and Severus grabbed the reins. "These things happen, Dobby."

"Then why is Professor Snape with Hermione?"

She looked back at Severus with a smile. "We arrived together...so, we decided to travel."

"Oh, Dobby didn't know if Mister Snape would make it!"

"I'm afraid I did," Severus said under his breath and Hermione hit his arm gently.

"Don't say that," she murmured. "I'm glad you're here with me."

His eyes lingered on her for a few moments. _She died because of me, and I don't think I'll ever get over it._

They eventually arrived at the holding square and Severus organised their things with the woman there. He was handed an enchanted key that would only open their room of things if he was holding it. The horse was taken outside to the large field full over other majestic horses, and Severus watched Hermione smile at the sight out the corner of his eye.

He wasn't sure how to ask her about this 'thing' between them, and he knew his chances were ruined if Dobby stayed with them _. His presence has cheered her up, so I'm glad that we ran into him._

Severus spotted Hermione's head twitch to the right as if someone had whispered something in her ear, and he wondered whether she was hearing things again. He slowly walked up behind her but she whirled around and almost ran into his chest.

"What is it?" His hair fell in front of his face as he stared down at her.

She moved her face so it was mere centimetres away from his. "The hawk is back—" she gripped his chin to stop him from turning to look. "Don't look at it."

Her touch burnt his skin and he blinked a few times to gain his composure. "Where is it watching us from?"

"The large tree a few metres to your left."

" _Petrificus Totalus."_

A thud followed as the black hawk landed on the ground, petrified. Hermione let out a squeak of fright then smiled up at him. "You're a genius!" She jumped up and planted a firm kiss to his lips, leaving him frazzled as she ran towards the fallen bird.

He shook his head and joined her. "We're taking the bird with us to show Dumbledore."

"What's wrong with the bird, Mister Snape?"

"It's been spying us," Hermione said. "We'll be taking him to Dumbledore to see if he has any answers."

"Let's get going then," Severus covered the hawk with his cloak and they found a safe spot for them to disapparate.

The feeling of being tugged in every direction unsettled his stomach. _It's been a long time since I've done this_. They arrived at the familiar alleyway that led out to the marketplace, and Severus was glad for the close environment, otherwise he would have fallen flat on his face if it wasn't for the nearby wall. Hermione landed on her feet with a perfect smile on her face and Dobby appeared by her side.

"Everything all right?" she asked.

"How are you perfect at everything?" he grumbled.

Her smile widened and she placed her hand on his arm. "Jealous?"

"No," he shook off her touch and he led them from the alleyway.

The large, golden castle glistened in the distance and Severus heard a cry from a small dragon circling the tallest tower. The more he stared at the beautiful piece of architecture, the more things became clear. The castle walls were actually outlined with gold and it was one of the large glass roofs which made it appear to be glowing — he could also see that the dragon was actually a phoenix.

 _Fawkes._

"What is it?" Hermione stepped up to his side and tried to follow his line of sight.

He swallowed hard and glanced down at her. He viewed her side profile closely and wondered how long this thing would last between them. They'd rarely stayed for a long time in one place, and he knew they would have to do that here, which meant she would have more time to meet more interesting people.

 _Will she forget about me?_

She looked up at him and a blush spread out across her face. "What?"

He cleared his throat. "Nothing. I just saw Fawkes flying about."

"I can see that, but why were you staring at me like that?"

"Stop asking so many questions."

They made their way through the busy crowds and started the long trek up to the castle. A few people passed them by, each one smiling as they went on by. Severus stayed quiet the whole time and listened intently to Hermione's conversation with Dobby about what it was like back in Elf Garden. _The place does sound quite extravagant._

The golden gates sparkled in front of them, and when they were a few steps away, the gates opened on their own.

"Wow…" Hermione gasped. "It's very quiet up here."

Severus glanced down at the city below then back at her. "They know we are here."

She gave him a funny look. "How?"

"All the statues are charmed like a Muggle camera, it's sending them live footage so they can watch us — isn't that right, Albus?"

A loud crack startled Hermione leaving behind the old, glowing face of Albus Dumbledore. "You're as observant as I remember."

Severus didn't respond to his remark, still unsure about seeing him again. He may have allowed Hermione to tease him about his reluctance to see Albus again, but it was true. There were parts of his life he didn't wish to revisit and Albus Dumbledore was one of them. However, he was only here to get answers for Hermione.

"Headmaster!" Hermione ran over to him and the old man patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm no longer Headmaster, Hermione, you may call me Albus here," he smiled down at Hermione who bounced on her toes in excitement. "It's nice to see you as well, Dobby."

"Hello, Headmaster, Dobby's excited to see you."

Albus chuckled. "I've been wondering how long it would take for either of you to come and see me. What a coincidence that you arrived together."

"Severus and I are travelling together," Hermione glanced back at him with a smile. "We've seen a lot of interesting things."

The familiar sparkle returned to Albus' eyes as he looked at Severus. _He wants to know why I'm travelling with her, alone_.

"I'm sorry to hear that you both died," Albus said gravely. "It's very sad indeed."

Severus quickly glanced at Hermione, guilt flooding through his veins. There was a voice in his head that chanted " _she died because of me,"_ and it was hard to ignore.

"These things happen for a reason," Hermione said. "I guess it was just our time. Although, I do wish I got to try to fix my parents, I'm still happy that I arrived here with a familiar face."

Her hand slipped into his and he inhaled sharply. Albus' eyes lit up with joy and Severus felt his whole body shake beneath some imaginary force.

"Oh…" Albus glanced up at Fawkes as he circled around the entrance. "Interesting indeed."

Severus tried to pull his hand away but she held his tighter. He wasn't embarrassed to be seen holding hands with her, however, he didn't like the way Albus thrived from such a minor thing between them was something they needed discuss in private, not in front of the meddling man before them.

"As much as we've enjoyed seeing you again," Severus said bitterly. "We actually came for your help."

"Help?"

"I've been having visions, or rather insights into what's occurring back in the real world," Hermione explained. "The things I'm seeing aren't good."

Albus hummed in response and observed her closely. Severus felt the urge to cover her from his probing eyes, but he knew that it was only his way of figuring the truth out. Severus hoped that there was another explanation for her visions. _Perhaps she was imagining it?_ Severus knew that it wasn't true after seeing her react in such a way. _Things obviously haven't been going well since Voldemort's demise._

"May I ask what you've got bundled in your robes?" Severus glanced down at his arm that cradled the paralyzed bird. Hermione let go of his hand and took the bird from the dark blanket and held the large bird out towards Albus.

Severus cleared his throat. "This bird has been following us everywhere, and Hermione's seen it in her visions."

"Oh…" Albus took the hawk from her and ran his hand over its dark feathers.

"Severus said that it made him feel panic when he looked at it for a long time," Hermione smiled at him innocently. "Surely that's not a good sign."

Severus gave the hawk a quick glance over when he noticed something on its feet. His brow furrowed as he approached Albus slowly. He lifted up its left talon and brushed off the dirt that had gathered there. Hermione appeared by his side and he paused momentarily when he could feel her breath on his neck.

"Oh my…" Hermione ran her fingers along the long snake that had been carved into the hawks claws.

Worry consumed Severus immediately. It could only mean one thing, and the idea terrified him to the core. Wasn't it supposed to be over? However, it made sense that Voldemort would find a way to plague him from death, or should he say, from Hell.

Albus frowned. "We should take this to Merlin."

Hermione gasped in surprise. "Merlin?"

"Yes, my dear. It's time for you both to meet the famous Merlin."

* * *

 **AN:/** **Sorry for the wait, I had about three different versions of this chapter so I needed to decide which one to choose since they all lead off to different plot points! So, Dobby is back and we may venture to Elf Garden at some point! Next chapter will feature the famous Merlin, and perhaps some other familiar faces! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Let me know what you think of this one!**


	10. Chapter 10

_~ Chapter 7 ~_

The interior of the castle was as extravagant as it was on the outside. Hermione continued to look around in a daze at the prospect of meeting Merlin, and Severus couldn't stop the warmth that spread around his heart. The more he looked at her, the more he knew that he was happy that she was his life now.

Of course, the idea that Potter and Weasley could come along and ruin it all unsettled him, but a part of him knew that their appearance wouldn't change the way he felt. Who would've guessed that he needed to die to experience the feeling of love again.

Hermione glanced his way and smiled sweetly. "This place is amazing."

"It's rather normal."

"Where would we be without you sarcastic comments?" She nudged him playfully.

"I wasn't being sarcastic."

Hermione laughed. "When we get a chance to be alone, I think we should talk."

He observed her expression to see if it was a bad thing they needed to talk about, thankfully, all he could see was joy on her face and in her eyes. He would have to let her lead the conversation because he would somehow manage to offend her instead of telling her how he feels.

Dobby had left them near the entrance when one of the house-elves appeared and invited him to the kitchens to see the others. Severus heard the faint mutters about Elf Garden, and Dobby seemed set to talk for hours about the charming place.

Severus felt Hermione's hand slip into his and he stared down at her nervous face. He wanted to offer her words of comfort but nothing came from his lips. _She'll be fine once she meets him_. He looked at their joined hands and a small smile tugged at his lips. There was something inside his mind that couldn't get over how open she was about wanting to be close to him. He'd been met with nothing but repulsion when it came to women giving him comfort. Perhaps he'd been looking for women in all the wrong places during his mortal life?

They came to a stop in front of large, golden double doors. Albus pushed them open and Severus observed the room. Books lined the walls and flew around the high ceiling, seemingly switching places at random. A long oak table stretched along the length of the room, and fancy leather seats wrapped around the scroll covered wood. Stairs led up to a small platform where a round table lay before three stained glass windows. The colourful panes cast a rainbow over the glowing orb in the middle of the table where Merlin stood proudly.

Blue robes trailed behind him and the long sleeves brushed the pulsing orb, and Severus could see the fascination on his face as he stared into the gold light; it was as if he could see something that they couldn't, and Severus gathered that that was the case. Merlin's grey hair curled around his chin and his beard was closely trimmed to his face; his eyes caused Severus to pause by the long table, he didn't expect the bright blue which swirled with gold flecks.

Merlin smiled at the sight of them and made his way to the top of the steps. Severus watched him put away his solid gold wand and place his arms behind his back. Albus took a seat at the table, putting the hawk down and returned Merlin's jolly smile.

"Well, what a lovely surprise," his deep voice almost matched Severus', yet his had a softness about it that could easily lull someone to sleep. "You must be Severus Snape," Merlin bowed in greeting then moved his eyes to Hermione.

Severus glanced back at her pale face. He opened his mouth to mock her starstruck state, but the moment pain flashed over her eyes, he moved quickly to catch her before she hit the floor.

A scream escaped her lips and she clawed at Severus' chest. His hold tightened around her and he glanced back at Albus and Merlin for help. The pair came rushing over and lowered themselves to their old knees.

"Let her go," Merlin said, and Severus reluctantly lay her down on the carpet.

"H-Harry!"

Severus grabbed her hand and placed his other on her arm. "She keeps having these vision which cause her pain," he explained, and Merlin waved his wand over her body.

Albus moved some of her hair away from her sweating brow. "Severus believes them to be visions."

Severus wanted to snap at him for making it sound like his assumption was wrong. _I'm not wrong, it's the truth._

"She sees her friends suffering after the war," he explained. "That hawk has been following us since we arrived here."

Merlin raised a white brow. "Hawk?" Severus pointed to the predator on the table and Merlin walked over to inspect it.

Severus quickly bundled Hermione into his arms once more and lowered his ear to her moving lips. He could hear her mutterring familiar names while her body twitched from the sight behind her closed lids. He hoped that there was a way to make these visions stop because he hated seeing her in such a state.

"Severus, we'll figure this out," Albus whispered and placed his hand on Severus' shoulder. "She'll be fine."

Unbeknownst to Severus, Albus was the only one who could see the true pain on his face as he held Hermione in his arms. It was an expression that Albus had witnessed on the few occasions that Severus exposed his vulnerable side; he was sacred because he had no idea how to fix it.

Suddenly, Hermione inhaled sharply and shot up in Severus' arms. She gasped for air and looked around frantically to gather her new surroundings. Severus touched her back gently and she exhaled and looked his way. "I...saw many things." He could see that she wanted to cry, but for some reason she held back her dreary emotions.

"What did you see, dear?" She turned to Albus with a sad smile.

"Harry in danger...him arguing with Ron, and fire. A lot of fire and pain."

"Hm, how interesting?" Severus turned to see Merlin holding the hawk by its left talon. He soon remembered their presence and smiled at them. "I'm glad to see you're back with us, Hermione."

Hermione's face lit up when Merlin said her name. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Merlin chuckled. "I've heard many things about you. All of those things have been good, and I hear that the scholars were happy to know that you would be reporting information back to them about your travels."

"I should do that while I'm here," she muttered to Severus, and he confirmed her idea with a nod.

"I'll need to think things over before I can give you a definite answer," Merlin said. "You two look like you could do with a good night's rest. Rooms are being prepared for you as we speak — _Olga!_ "

A young woman appeared at the doorway with a bright smile. Her long blonde hair fell in curls down her back and her skin was a clear white plain desert. She responded to Merlin in her thick polish accent which captivated Hermione. She leaned around Severus to get a better look and seemed to glow at the sight of her.

"She's unbelievably beautiful," Hermione whispered to Severus who gave her an odd look. He didn't see the unbelievable beauty she talked about, but that wasn't to say that the woman was unappealing, she just didn't captivate his interests.

"Would you escort our guests to their rooms?" Merlin carried the hawk up the steps and used the light from the glowing orb to observe the markings on its talon.

"More guests!" Olga clapped her hands. "Follow me."

Severus helped Hermione to her feet and they quickly said their goodbyes to the older men. Olga was quick to walk off and they hurried to catch up with her. She led them through the maze of a castle, and Severus found himself looking around quickly to remember his way around the labyrinth of halls.

The cautious side of him was yet to leave him since his arrival at the golden gates. He recalled Olga saying that there were more guests here, and Severus wondered what type of people they were and whether they posed a threat to Hermione. Severus couldn't help but feel worried about her current state of mind; he knew that seeing her friends in pain and distress was a form of torture to her because she couldn't do anything to stop it.

"This is your room," Olga tapped the large oak door. "There is a feast in a short while, but if you'd like to eat in your room then just call for me and I'll get it organised."

"Thank you," Hermione said.

"Remember to call for me if you need anything!" She disappeared with a crack and Severus stared at the back of Hermione's head. _I hope there's two beds in that room._ He followed her inside the high ceiling room and took in a sharp breath. _One double bed._ Oblivious to their situation, Hermione sat down on the bed and sighed in relief.

"This room is amazing, and the bed is so comfortable—" she glanced around quickly, then locked eyes with him. "Oh...there's only one bed."

"I'll tell Olga that there's been a misunderstanding—"

"Can we talk first," she started to fiddle with her fingers nervously, and Severus gestured to the sofa in front of the fireplace. They sat down at the opposite ends of the sofa and Severus hated to admit that he was nervous. He played with a loose thread on the arm of the sofa and tried to focus on the positive. He didn't want to lose the friendship that they had developed, but he couldn't get their kisses out of his head. He wanted to kiss her again.

"Would you like to be my lover?"

If he'd been drinking he would've spat the liquid everywhere. He expected her to take a long time to get to her point, not outright ask him such a question. Severus had no experience with such a question, no one had ever wanted him as a lover and he still couldn't understand what Hermione saw in him.

 _Wait? How long have I been quiet for?_

Hermione waved her hand in front of his face, and he suddenly became aware that she was right by his side smiling. "Was I too forward?"

"A little," he muttered back. "Nonetheless...such a question from a woman like you could only be answered with one word — yes."

"Good!" An awkward silence followed and Severus took in the confused expression on her face. _She doesn't know what to do next_. It amused him that she'd planned to ask him such a direct question but not thought about what to do if he said yes.

Severus decided to take the lead. He reached out and nudged her chin with his finger causing her to look up at him nervously. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to her lips, she responded with a huge smile and almost tackled him from the sofa as she hugged him tight.

Hours later the pair found themselves hovering around either side of the large bed. Hermione's cheeks were flushed and Severus awkwardly scratched his face. Even though he cared for her deeply, he wasn't about to bed the woman straight away, so he decided to take the lead. He threw back the cover and got into bed and Hermione followed his actions.

"This is just like camping," Hermione said.

He rolled his eyes. "Exactly like camping."

She blew out the single flame by her bed and darkness engulfed them. "Your sarcasm is your best quality."

"Well I'm glad that I please you," he muttered back.

"Of course you please me," Severus went to roll over but her breath near his face stopped him. Her lips came to rest on his unshaven cheek and he inhaled sharply. Soon enough, Severus found himself relaxing on his back with a bundle of hair nuzzling beneath his chin. He'd never held anyone during sleep before and he was happy that Hermione was his first.

They stayed that way for a long time, Severus couldn't see through the darkness but he was sure that Hermione was fast asleep with her head on his chest. He couldn't quite believe that he was in such a position right now, holding the Gryffindor Golden Girl in his arms while enjoying every second of it.

However, his pleasure was soon cut short when he heard loud voices coming from the hall. They sounded like they were having fun, but they also weren't going away. Severus carefully maneuvered Hermione back onto her pillow and grabbed his wand from the nightstand. He unlocked the door and flinched away from the intruding light coming from the hallway. He stepped out slowly and glanced down the hall only to pause immediately.

Gathered in a laughing huddle were three people he didn't wish to see. Not now, and perhaps not ever.

Sirius Black. James Potter. And Lily.

* * *

 **AN:/ I'm loving all the questions you all have about this story, some will gradually be explained throughout and some I haven't even thought about so thank you for getting me to think in more complex ways! Don't worry, the new arrivals won't cause a rift between Severus and Hermione, and as you can tell the sweet smut will be arriving shortly before the action soon kicks in. Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed, let me know what you think about this chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**_~ Chapter 8 ~_**

Long ago he'd imagined what it would feel like to be reunited with Lily. His love-driven side would've wanted to run up to her and kiss her passionately, but that side of him had gone and unintentionally latched onto Hermione. He felt anger. Pain. Grief. And sadness.

He'd just started something with Hermione and seeing Lily again was the last thing he wanted. He wasn't scared that it would bring up feelings of love towards her, because he'd already accepted that his feelings for her were nothing compared to what it truly felt like to be in love.

He refused to admit it to himself — and he certainly wouldn't say it out loud yet — that he was in love with Hermione.

The three figures started to head his way, and it was James that spotted him first. He looked the same as when he'd last seen him alive, very much like the only living Potter.

"Oh…" Lily gasped, and even Sirius looked shocked to see him. _The mutt probably thought I'd be in Hell._ "Severus."

He responded with an awkward nod. "Lily."

She slowly walked over to him with a cautious look on her face. "I...Albus told me what you did for Harry...I'm ever so grateful, Severus."

He almost laughed. _Of course the meddling old fool had filled her in._ _I bet he wove a tale of my undying love for her, while failing to mention all of his own wrongdoings towards her son._ A part of him wanted Hermione by his side since she always offered him comfort.

James cleared his throat. "It appears we have you to thank. I assume that the war was won?"

Severus nodded, still unsure whether he should respond to James. All those years of fights and venomous words still clung to his soul.

"I'm still surprised they let you through the golden gates," Sirius muttered, and Lily hit his arm. "What?! It's the truth."

"Believe me, Black, I'm just as surprised as you," he spat. "Now, if you don't mind I would like to get some sleep—"

An ear piercing screech caused Severus to freeze.

 _Hermione_.

He ran into the room and paused at the sight of her body thrashing around in the bed. He was aware that the others had followed him inside, but he was too focused on Hermione to care.

Severus climbed onto the bed and placed his hands on her shoulders. He hated seeing her like this. He absolutely loathed it.

"Hermione?" He vaguely heard Sirius say.

"No…" she whimpered. "Stop...Draco...LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

A thundering roar came from deep within her chest and her body contorted as if she'd been hit by a powerful curse. She shot up in bed and Severus held her tight as she gathered her senses. Her body became lax in his arms as she started to cry into his chest.

"Shh…" he whispered into her ear. "It's OK, everything's all right." Her wet nose nuzzled against his neck and her fingers curled around his shirt.

"What just happened?" James asked.

"Are you all right?" He heard Lily approach and he looked over his shoulder and shook his head.

Hermione pulled away and rested her chin on his shoulder to see who else was in the room. He felt her stiffen in his arms, and he prayed that Lily's appearance wouldn't affect what had just begun between them.

"Harry's parents," she whispered. "Oh, I've heard so much about you."

"You must be Hermione," Lily said. "Albus has told me that you're one of Harry's best friends."

"That's me," he froze when her hand reached the back of his neck and started to rub small circles as if to comfort him. "You should be very proud of him."

"We are," James said.

"He looks just like you, but he has his mother's eyes."

"I cannot wait to meet him," Lily sighed. "What just happened?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Severus takes good care of me," she pulled away from him and smiled.

"What's going on here?" Sirius approached the bed, and it soon registered on the mutt that there was only one bed. "Are you sleeping with a student?"

Sirius meant for the comment to pack a punch, and it did. It didn't matter that they were now ageless, she was still very young compared to him.

"Yes he is," Hermione said and Severus stared at her in shock. "We sometimes sleep close, especially when camping — I find it quite relaxing sleeping next to him."

"That's not what I meant, Hermione, he's old enough to be your father."

"Yet, it's none of your business," she plumped her pillow and lay back down. "I'm rather tired and I would like to get some sleep. We can talk in the morning."

"Wait a minute—"

James started to push Sirius from the room. "Goodnight," Lily said, and Severus watched the door shut behind them.

He waited for a few moments then rolled Hermione over to face him. "What did you see?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Death Eaters were torturing Draco…I could hear Harry nearby screaming for them to stop."

He stroked her face. "I'm sorry that you have to see those things."

"I just...I feel bad because I want their pain to end, but I don't want them to join us here yet."

"I know," he placed a kiss to her forehead. "We'll figure this out, I promise."

She grabbed the hand that rested on her cheek. "Are you all right? I know it was hard to see her again."

"Don't worry," he shook his head. "I was shocked at first, but now it feels like nothing's changed."

Hermione smiled. "We should get some sleep."

…

There was only a few times Severus had imagined what it would be like to wake up next to someone. He'd pictured it being like Muggle movies where the woman is asleep in a graceful position while the sun bounced off her clear skin. Unfortunately, that wasn't the sight that greeted him as he awoke.

A foot dug into his side and its occasional kicking is what nudged him awake. He mindlessly moved around his arm only for his fingers to brush against a soft calf. Severus sat up suddenly to inspect the odd situation, and he couldn't help the laughter that tumbled from his lips.

Hermione now slept horizontally across the bed. Her feet were against his side while one arm acted as a pillow for her head and the other dangled off the bed. Her curls seemed to have grown in size while she slept and it was hard for him to make out her face through her mane of hair.

His laughter caused her to stir in her sleep and she slowly started to wake up.

"Well aren't you an active sleeper," he said through his laughter.

She looked at him in confusion for a few moments then became aware of where she was on the bed. She started to laugh with him, and eventually threw her face into a pillow in embarrassment.

"I slept well despite my position," she muttered.

"So it would seem."

She turned her head to face him and she cautiously reached out to touch his arm. "It was nice waking up next to you," she whispered.

"Well, you didn't really wake up next to me—"

"You know what I mean!" she sat up and pushed her hair from her face. "I'm glad that I get to wake up next to you from now on."

His chest felt tight. "I found myself not opposed to the idea."

Hermione smirked and kissed his cheek. "Shall we have breakfast?"

The rest of the morning was spent following each other around the endless castle. They shared meaningful conversation or bickered over meaningless subjects. Severus did his best to keep her mind off the visions that haunted her, and he also kept his mind away from the arrival of three of the marauders.

Severus smiled to himself as he watched her gaze at the garden below the balcony they stood on. She sat on the edge and beamed down at the colourful land, and she occasionally glanced up at the sky to see Fawkes flying about. _I wonder what I ever did to deserve a lover such as her?_

He knew that they didn't quite qualify as lovers yet, but he wouldn't give it long until Hermione brought him a plan of how things would work from now on. _She seems to have an answer for everything, whereas I have no idea what to do around her._

A throat cleared behind them and they both turned to stare at Lily. _Great_.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but may I talk to you, Severus," she smiled at him, and he glanced back at Hermione who continued to look down at the garden.

He walked over to her so they were just out of Hermione's ear shot. He didn't want her to hear anything that might cause doubts of his feelings towards her; it didn't matter that he held no romantic feelings towards Lily anymore, he just didn't want her misunderstanding something.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm well," he glanced back at Hermione then returned to Lily. "How are you?"

She sighed. "I'm happy that I get to see you again," her hand came to rest on his arm and he gritted his teeth. "I've always hated how things ended with us."

"Lily," he shook off her touch. "I don't want to talk about it. You've shaped my life as much as I'm willing to allow you to. I don't blame anyone for anything anymore, and I'm happy with my life now."

Lily smiled. "I'm glad things have worked out for you, Severus, I hope that we can rekindle our friendship—"

 **THUD.**

No one could mistake such a sound. Severus identified its cause immediately — a large object or person landing hard on concrete. His heart made a similar sound as it fell to his feet. He turned quickly to look back at where Hermione had been sat on the edge of the balcony.

Gone.

Staggered breaths forced their way out of his mouth then he raced over to look down at the garden. A few of the visitors had screamed from the sudden fright and were running over to aid the fallen girl. Severus stared down at the bloody sight of Hermione's body sprawled out on the ground below, then he bellowed out a loud "no!" and took off running down the nearby staircase that led to the garden.

He pushed his way through the forming crowd and skidded to his knees by her side. Severus felt nothing but panic, even though he knew she couldn't die here, the sight of her lifeless body broke his heart.

"She'll be fine," a voice whispered.

"Don't worry," said another.

However, Severus' panic wouldn't disappear until he saw her eyes open. He waited patiently as did the others, and a few gasped at the sight of the pool of blood slowly shrinking as it returned to her body. It still stained her clothing and hair, but none of that mattered when he heard her sharp intake of breath as she sat up straight gasping for air.

Severus reached out and roughly pulled her against his chest, not caring that there was people around to witness such a sensitive moment. He held her tight and pressed a kiss to her wild head of hair. She returned his embrace, then gently separated herself from him.

"My head…" she winced and massaged her temple.

"You scared us all, dear," a female gardener said. "I watched you fall backwards off the balcony."

"I...did...I fell?" she blinked a few times.

"Let's give them some space," a man said, leading everyone away from the once distressing scene.

"I started to have a vision, and I passed out…" she glanced up at the balcony she'd fallen from. "Bloody hell!"

Severus reached up his shaking hands to cup her cheeks and she looked into his startled eyes. "You…" he wanted to scold her for making him panic so much. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," she smiled innocently. "It happened fast."

"That's OK," he kissed her forehead then quickly bundled her back into his chest.

"Severus, I'm fine," she mumbled against his shirt.

"I know," he whispered back, but still held on tight to her.

"Are you all right?" Hermione pulled away from him to look at Lily.

"I'm fine," she replied with a smile. "I just felt lightheaded and forgot that I was on a balcony."

Severus knew that telling Lily about Hermione's visions would cause her to panic, so it was better to keep it a secret until they can figure out what's actually happening to her. A crack of apparition caught their attention, and Albus smiled down at them.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

"I fell," Severus helped her to her feet, and she quickly brushed the dust off them both.

"You fell?" Albus raised his white brow.

"I'm OK, so it doesn't matter."

"Very well," he sighed. "I'm afraid I must disturb your day and ask you both to follow me."

Lily opened her mouth to say something but Severus shook his head at her. He firmly grasped Hermione's hand and they followed behind Albus. They soon arrived at Merlin's observatory, and joined the ancient wizard at the long table.

"Welcome all," he said. "As you can see, the bird has disappeared."

"What do you mean disappeared?" Severus asked.

"He vanished before my eyes, and I assume his master brought him back to whatever realm he belongs to," Merlin got to his feet and pushed a scroll in their direction. Hermione unravelled it and used the weights to lay it flat. "That is a brief map of what the gateway to Hell looks like. We only employ five Gatekeepers to that realm, so we have little knowledge of the area."

Severus remembered that those who greeted others at the gateway to Heaven were called Guardians. _I wonder if you have to be trained specially to become a Gatekeeper?_

"Does that mean somebody had to process Voldemort?" Hermione looked at Merlin curiously.

Albus rested his hands on the back of the chair opposite them. "That's the thing, nobody has spotted Voldemort go through."

Hermione turned to him with shock on her face, and Severus couldn't stop the chill that shot up his spine. After all the fighting and killing, Voldemort wasn't burning in the depths of Hell like he deserved to.

"But, he's dead. I saw his body. He's dead!" Hermione got to her feet and pushed her hair away from her face.

"I know, dear," Merlin said. "He died, but somehow he's gone missing."

"How does a soul go missing?" Severus looked down at the map in annoyance. "Out of all the souls that could go missing, why does it have to be his?"

"Severus, we assumed that maybe his soul got lost, forever destined to float around without taking on a body," Albus explained. "But, if Hermione's visions hold any validity then I must say that something is amiss with this eternal plane."

Severus reached up to grab Hermione's shaking hand and guided her back to the seat. She gnawed on her bottom lip so he rested his hand on her thigh. He couldn't reassure her that they'd figure this out, because something as complex as this was beyond his power.

Merlin walked up the steps to the glowing orb. "There have always been rumours about a third realm existing. It was once thought that it was some form of purgatory, but many complex people arrive at the gateway without having experienced such a place."

"So, Voldemort might have escaped to this place?" Hermione reached down to grab his hand. "How many other souls have gone missing?" Merlin and Albus exchanged a look with one another. _Well this cannot be good._

"That doesn't matter," Merlin waved his hand at them.

"Of course it matters!" Severus snapped. "Tell me, do Seers lose their ability when they arrive here?"

Albus cleared his throat. "Yes."

"Then why is it that Hermione has visions? Do you not think there might be a link between that and Voldemort going missing?"

Merlin put his back to them and focused on the orb. _Are these men senile?_

"Who?" Hermione whispered. "Whose souls have gone missing?"

Merlin started to pace around until he came to a stop, scratching his stubble. "The afterlife existed long before I arrived here. When I died, I was welcomed by a small village of people wishing to hear my story. From then, they decided that I was worthy to be their leader, to which I declined; I've never wished to rule over something so big, therefore, I proposed a plan of order. Guardians and Gatekeepers didn't exist until I implemented them; I decided to create a functioning society where everyone could live in harmony, and it worked."

"I've scanned through all the magic I can access, and I still have no idea who created such a place. For all I know they still exist, but choose to keep themselves hidden because they don't wish to lead the afterlife they created. Not even the greatest wizard in the world can alter the layers of magic that surround this place, but I can add to them, so I've done the best that I can do to keep everyone safe. However, there have always been oddities."

"Just tell us who hasn't arrived in Heaven," Severus glared up at Merlin, knowing that the man wished to weave a story around the truth.

Merlin sighed. "There is no record of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin."

All Severus could do was grumble under his breath and rub his forming headache.

* * *

 **AN:/ So the plot thickens! This story will end up having a lot of layers to it, so if anyone ever gets confused don't hesitate to ask me for a recap! Just to clear some things up, Hermione and Severus + Death Eaters and Voldemort, were the only major losses during the fighting. Remus is still back in the real world, but don't worry we'll see familiar faces soon enough! Harry and Draco will arrive as comrades, which will soon develop into something else, so remember that there's still a lot more to come!**

 **We will also be meeting the two female founders within a few chapters!**

 **Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed, let me know what you think of this one!**


	12. Chapter 12

**~ Chapter 9 ~**

Severus chuckled to himself as he watched Hermione open and close her mouth at the sight of the library. Books flew over their heads while numerous people strolled along the walkways carrying books.

They'd been granted access to the locked part of the library within the city of Excalibur under strict instructions to not give the key to anyone else _. Apparently, there are books inside that are better kept away from the public eye — according to Merlin_.

"Can we live here?" Hermione turned to look at him with a grin.

Severus glanced down at her overloaded bag. They'd stopped off at the scholars building so Hermione could pass on the information she'd collected. He'd been ready to leave soon after, but Hermione somehow managed to talk the elderly man into giving her more work.

"Certainly not," he said. "I'd never see you again if we lived here."

"Is that your subtle way of saying that you'd miss me?" Severus scoffed in response as they came to a stop outside the large door. "What do you think is inside?"

"You are full of questions today," he turned the key in the lock and the door opened with a creak.

"I love asking questions, it's how I learn new things," she followed behind him and shut the door.

Torches burst to life with an orange glare, revealing the small office space covered in large tomes. Severus had been expecting an extravagant room, not some place that resembled his old office at Hogwarts.

"This is slightly underwhelming," she said. "However, at least there's less things to go through."

"I suppose," he headed over to the desk not aware of Hermione's eyes following him. "Merlin said that this room is best to be kept a secret. I wonder what's hiding in here—" he froze when her breath touched his neck.

Hermione stood behind him with a wicked smile, and he quickly turned to stop her from pressing against his back. "What?"

"Nothing," she tilted her head. "We're rather alone here."

"Which justifies you getting too close—" her lips pressed against his cheek and she pulled away with a smirk.

"No, but it justifies a kiss."

Severus glanced down at her lips then back into her eyes. After their talk about becoming lovers not much had changed between them. However, there was an odd tension that formed in the silences they shared. They were yet to kiss properly since Merlin's revelation about Voldemort, Godric and Salazar — they'd been very busy exploring the castle.

 _At least she hasn't had anymore visions._ He hated seeing her in such a state, so he was glad they both got a break from it all.

He wasn't sure why he did it but he lifted up his hand to cup her cheek. She relaxed against his touch and stared back at him with eyes that sparkled in the firelight. The way she looked at him reminded him that he actually had someone in his life that cared about him. Whatever Hermione felt towards him was different to the way anyone else had ever felt in his presence.

 _I suppose some people would call it love, but I doubt that's how she feels_.

Severus slowly moved his lips to her own and kissed her gently. The feather-like touch didn't last long and he pulled away to stare into her frustrated eyes. "I'm sorry," he wasn't sure why he apologised, but she seemed angry from the kiss and he didn't understand why.

 _I thought she wanted this._

Her eyes narrowed as she grabbed his face and brought their lips crashing together. Severus stilled in shock for a brief moment, but eventually relaxed against her touch. She kissed him with such ferocity that he didn't have chance to gather his thoughts.

Severus soon took control of the kiss by nudging apart her lips with his tongue, then he laced his arm around her waist and pulled her body against his. Her hands fell from his face and came to rest on his chest, and Severus was sure she could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage.

Something foreign ignited inside of him and before he could stop himself, he walked her back into the desk and lifted her onto the top. They pulled away briefly to breathe and Severus went to stop, but she quickly brought their lips back together. There were many liberties he wished to take with her, however, none of them were ones that were going to happen in a dusty office.

Although, it seemed Hermione had other ideas. Her hands wandered to his waist and she pulled his shirt from his trousers, and Severus separated their lips and rested his forehead against hers. "Not here," he whispered.

Her brows furrowed. "Why?"

"We came here for a reason, and this wasn't it," he said. "I also had other plans for this to happen in a more clean environment."

"Plans?" she said with a smirk. "I didn't know you thought about this type of thing."

"I always think about that type of thing when you are around."

Hermione's grin widened as she hopped down from the desk. "That's good to know," she picked up a nearby book. "Let's see if we can find anything about souls disappearing then."

They spent the rest of their morning flipping through old pages and coming up empty-handed. Severus hadn't expected to find anything of use to them since Merlin and Albus had both, undoubtedly, scoured the books for answers themselves. He had no idea what they should be looking for, and perhaps the soul disappearances were just a lapse in the magic that created this place. However, it was too much of a coincidence that such famous names had disappeared.

Severus smiled as Hermione linked her arm with his as they walked up the concrete stairs that led to the golden castle. A warmth laced around his heart once more and he found himself content with the situation he'd found himself in. He'd give anything for Hermione to stop having painful visions, but he couldn't help the feeling of joy she brought him all the time. _I've never experienced anything like it before, not even when I fancied myself in love with Lily._

"Yes?" Hermione looked up at him with curious eyes and his smile disappeared.

"I didn't say anything," he said, and the happiness disappeared from her face as she looked over her shoulder at the beautiful city of Excalibur.

Her arm slid from his and she turned to stare at the bustling scenery below them. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he said. "Hermione, how often do you hear this voice?"

She seemed reluctant to give him an honest answer, but she eventually sighed. "The last time was when we found Dobby."

Severus placed his hand at the small of her back. "What does this voice sound like?"

"It's a husky voice," she said. "Sometimes I think it's a man but other times it sounds feminine."

He watched numerous expressions flutter over her face, and he found himself unable to offer her words of comfort. Something as bizarre as hearing voices was beyond his realm of expertises, but he did know that it wasn't normal, especially for a non-seer.

"It only ever says my name…" Hermione turned to him with a sad smile. "Why me?"

Severus reached up and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. "I wish I could give you an answer, Hermione."

She moved into his embrace and he kissed the top of her head. He didn't know how to alleviate her distress, but he'd do anything to let her know that she wasn't alone through all of this.

"We'll figure this out," he said. "There has to be a reason for the things that are happening to you."

"What if we don't find one?"

"We will."

…

Severus took in a deep breath and flashed Lily a fake smile. He wasn't doing it to be rude but his mind and eyes were too busy focusing on Hermione. He watched Sirius talk to Hermione by the fountain. They'd bumped into the pair while walking through the large garden to clear Hermione's head, and just as he thought he'd cheered her up, along came the annoying mut to ruin his mood.

"You're making it too obvious," Lily nudged his arm. "He's only talking to her."

"It still gives him the opportunity to poison her mind!" He snapped impulsively.

Lily's eyes widened. "I didn't know you were this self-conscious?"

"I'm not," he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Nothing."

Yes, he was annoyed by Sirius' appearance, but he was mainly worried about Hermione. _Life in Heaven is supposed to be peaceful yet she's plagued by some mysterious force._

"Severus, what is it?" Lily blocked his sight of Sirius and Hermione. "I'm not stupid, something's wrong."

He managed to stop himself from snapping back a hurtful remark, instead he settled on glaring at her. "It's something personal, Lily."

"Oh, and you can't tell me?"

"We aren't friends anymore."

She inhaled sharply. "That's a mean thing to say."

"We weren't friends when you died, and it's exactly the same way now," Severus unfolded his arms and ignored the voice in his head telling him to stop. "We're acquaintances at the most, and right now, I've got better things to be doing."

Severus headed over to the fountain and grabbed Hermione's hand. She jumped in surprise then smiled at him. "What's wrong?"

"We should go and talk to Albus," he said, sending Sirius a sharp look.

"She's not your property," Sirius tried to put himself between them but Severus gave him a rough push.

"Severus!" Lily yelled. "Don't take your frustration out on him."

"You should let her spend some time with other people instead of hovering over her like some old pervert," Sirius clearly wanted a reaction from Severus, and just as he was about to give him one, Hermione kicked the mut hard in the shin causing him to collapse on the ground in pain.

"Don't be so vulgar!" Hermione hovered over him. "What's going on between Severus and I is consensual — and none of your business!"

A crack entered the garden and they all turned to see Albus smirking near the rose bushes. "I hope you're all getting along."

"Something like that," Severus muttered.

"Merlin wishes to speak to you all," Albus said.

 _All of us?_ Severus couldn't decide whether that was a good sign. He glanced at Hermione who gave him a perplexed look then walked alongside him as they headed towards Merlin's observatory

They arrived to find James sat at the long table. He pulled out a chair for Lily, causing Severus to curl his lip at the supposedly sweet sight. He wasn't sure how he felt about James yet.

Merlin didn't seem interested in their arrival. The elderly man gazed at the glowing orb in awe, making Severus wish he could know what the man saw whenever he looked into it.

Severus stiffened in the chair when Hermione's breath touched his ear. "Don't tell them about the voice," she whispered and he pinned her with a serious look.

"I wouldn't do that," he replied deeply, and her small hand grabbed his under the table.

Severus squeezed her fingers tightly then turned his attention to Merlin. "I assume we were requested for a reason?"

Merlin chuckled. "Always the smart one."

Sirius scoffed. "The greasy git isn't smart."

"What did we talk about?" Lily muttered to him, and Severus was surprised to see James staring Sirius down.

Merlin sat down at the head of the table and adjusted his blue robes. "Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin's souls didn't make it to Heaven."

The trio across from Severus were taken aback by the statement. "What?" Lily asked. "Where are they then?"

"Shouldn't Salazar be in Hell," Sirius glared at Severus briefly. "He is the founder of Slytherin after all."

"There are plenty of Gryffindors in Hell," Merlin brushed off Sirius' snarky attitude, and carried on telling the rest of the story. "Thankfully, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw made it."

"Do you know where they are?" Hermione asked.

"I do," Merlin sighed. "However, they don't like to talk to me."

"What did you do?"

Merlin narrowed his eyes at Lily. "Why do you assume I did something wrong?"

"I've been here long enough to know you offend people," she waved her wand to fill a glass with water. "So, what did you do?"

Albus chuckled behind his cup of tea and Severus rolled his eyes. _Whatever he did is just going to hinder any communication with them._ He wanted to get to the bottom of these odd occurrence in Heaven, not get caught up in other people's dramas.

"Rowena Ravenclaw is Merlin's wife," Albus smirked at them all and Merlin huffed in response.

"Wife?" James chuckled. "Or ex-wife?"

"We're still married to one another," Merlin sat up straight. "However, we've been on a fifty year break."

It was Hermione who pushed for more information. "After you?"

"I lied to her about Godric and Salazar. Helga and Rowena believed that the pair wished to go travelling on their own instead of staying with them. I told them both the truth that they never arrived here; she flung me out of our house and told me never to appear before her again."

James and Sirius laughed at the perplexed look on Merlin's face. _It's like he doesn't know he did something wrong._

"The reason why I asked you all here today is that I've noticed something different about the magic here. I've always been the only person who could bend and shape the aura as I pleased, but I can sense that someone is making changes to it. These changes may be subtle, nonetheless, nobody else should be able to do it."

Severus tightened his hold on Hermione's hand. She glanced his way with a small smile that eased the annoyance stirring inside of him. Would they ever get a break? The idea of an afterlife hadn't appealed to him until he'd arrived, and now someone or something wished to change that.

"Tell them the rest," Severus said, and everyone turned to him.

"The rest?" Merlin furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Voldemort's soul has gone missing."

The trio opposite him gasped in shock. He could see the fear and sadness on Lily's face as she realised her son's sacrifices had been for nothing. Little did she know that her son was fighting a different type of battle back home.

"Voldemort!" James snapped. "Why didn't you tell us this? He's a danger to society!"

"We know that," Severus muttered, receiving a glare from his nemesis.

"Let's try to keep a calm mind about all of this," Albus said. "An immediate answer isn't in sight, so Merlin and I have decided to form a small council to help solve this mystery."

"Yes," Merlin got to his feet. "I would like you to do some research of your own. I've heard great things from Albus about all of you, and I believe that somehow we can discover the truth behind all of this—"

"Delilah Hetifield."

Everyone turned to look at Hermione. She glanced around in confusion. "What's wrong?" She asked. "What is it?"

Albus leaned over his chair to inspect her. "Who's Delilah Hetifield?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

"You just said her name," Severus said, and Hermione shook her head at him.

"No I didn't."

"Hermione, you just said her name," Sirius added. "We all heard you."

Severus got to his feet pulling Hermione up with him. "I'm going to take her for a walk," he led Hermione from the room and guided her back to their quarters. He quickly shut the door behind them and turned to look at Hermione's confused face.

"What happened?"

"I have no idea!" She exclaimed. "I didn't say anything."

"Hermione you said a random name quite confidently," he explained. "How can you not remember?"

"I just don't!" She snapped. "I have no idea what's going on!"

She paced in front of the fireplace and he could see the anger on her face. He didn't blame her for feeling so out of place; there wasn't much comfort he could offer her if she didn't even know what came over her.

Severus walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. She glanced up at him with a sad look on her face and he finally realised what to do. Ever so slowly, he lowered his lips to her own and kissed her. When he pulled away, she stared back at him in surprise, then a small smile curled her lips.

"What was that for?"

"I was hoping it would calm you down," he whispered. "But now I feel silly."

"No," she reached up and brushed her fingertips along his jawline. "It worked."

Hermione pulled his mouth back to hers in a heated kiss, and Severus immediately laced an arm around her waist to bring her body closer to his. A hum resonated from her throat as she rested her hands on his chest which caused a familiar warmth to consume his heart.

The pair moved towards the sofa and kept their lips joined while they found a comfortable position. He'd never fascinated about ways he could kiss a woman, nor who said woman would be, but kissing Hermione in such a tender way seemed to tick all the boxes for him.

Kissing never occurred during his flimsy one-night stands; all of the women had been loyal to Voldemort or being paid for their deed. Hermione didn't fit into any of those categories, which meant this whole thing was a mystery to him.

Severus felt her fingers against his abdomen, then his mind seemed to catch up with him. The minx has already made quick work of undoing the buttons of his shirt. Hadn't he only just lowered her onto the sofa?

He quickly pulled away to stare at her annoyed face. The sight made him chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"You're acting like a rambunctious teenager."

She smiled up at him. "It's not my fault," she poked his nose. "You're just irresistible."

Severus got off her with a scoff. "Now you've killed the mood."

Hermione sat up and rested her chin on his shoulder while he did up his buttons. "I'm being serious."

"Come on, we should get something to eat," Severus got to his feet. "We need to have a talk about the things you've been hearing as well."

Hermione frowned. "Do we have to?"

"Unfortunately it's the only way we can get to the bottom of it," he extended his hand which she took with a sigh. "If you want we can go and visit that damned house-elf?"

Hermione leant against him with a smile. "I'd like that very much."


End file.
